Stay With Me
by Corrinn
Summary: As Gunter and Yuri finally figure out what they mean to each other, something ominous threatens to keep them apart.
1. Chapter 1

_** Hello again to people who have read my stories before, and welcome to those joining us for the first time. Hopefully you enjoy! I've started really liking Gunter/Yuri as a couple. Gunter is always taken for granted, and he needs someone to cherish him. Let's hope he finds it! And as always: I don't own the characters, just what I do to them!**_

It is said that everyone has a soul mate. One person in the entire world to be their match. Gunter Von Christ had stopped believing in that, at least for himself, years ago. In all his nearly three hundred years of existence, he had yest to find "the one." Even Gisela's mother was an unknown since he'd found and adopted the young healer at an early age. Sure he watched as the people around him paired up, but he was always the one on the outside. It was one reason why he was such an emotional man. If he shed a few tears here and there, it wasn't because he felt his heart being crushed every time a friend fell in love. It was just Gunter being himself. No one noticed his tears any longer.

It struck him like a bolt of lightning, then, when the new Maoh appeared out of the blue. True, it had started as mere adoration for his fourteen year old king, but as the years went by, that adoration grew into admiration, and grew further still into an undeniable need to be near the young man. And who could blame him? At twenty years old, Yuri cut an impressive figure. He was tall and lean, well-muscled, and quick to smile. Gunter could feel his nose start to twitch, on the verge of gushing, as he thought of his very grown up king.

An image of the smiling young man popped into Gunter's head. Yuri was nosebleed worthy, but that wasn't the only thing that Gunter fell for. The king had a beautiful heart. He was always thinking of the kingdom and his people's welfare. Also, it was the way that Yuri was able to keep the Maoh in check. The demon king had not been allowed to kill since Yuri took over.

A soft knock sounded on Gunter's office door, interrupting the adjutant's thoughts. He sighed in exasperation. It was very late in the evening, and no one usually bothered him. Gunter always used that time to do things for himself. He was a man that ran on less sleep, so he took advantage of the time when everyone was usually asleep. The knock sounded again. Well, apparently not everyone.

"Enter," Gunter called.

The person on the other side of the door knocked a third time, even louder.

"Enter!" he said with more force. This was getting irritating. When no one responded, he stood and strode quickly to the door yanking it open. A man in all black stood there. With the exception of his eyes, his entire face was covered.

"May I help-" Gunter began.

The man lunged faster than Gunter had seen anyone move in many years. He barely had time to get his maryoku shield in place, narrowly avoiding the man's sword. The assailant lunged again. This time, Gunter was ready for him and was able to parry with his own blade. Gunter was a terror with a sword. His skills were unmatched, and though this man was fast, he had lost his advantage. Gunter was able to disarm the man and knock him to the ground. Before Gunter could call any guards, though, the man had crunched down on a pill hidden between his teeth and fell over, dead. Gunter slumped heavily against the wall. That was the most intense fighting he had done in a long time.

Gunter didn't know how long he had been leaning on the wall when Gwendal came running down the hallway. The man on the floor had long since stopped twitching. The General looked in shock at the dead man and then swung his eyes to Gunter, taking in his friend's haggard appearance.

"Gunter!" Gwendal said, putting a shoulder underneath Gunter's arms and helping him into his office. "What happened here?"

Gunter took a deep breath as he sat down and winced. Apparently he had been injured at some point during his fight. "I don't really know. I was sitting here reading and he came knocking on my door. When I opened it, he attacked." Gunter peeled back his robes and lifted his shirt. A nasty gash stretched from his left shoulder to his left hip. "I didn't think he'd gotten me, but it seems that I've been hurt."

Gwendal hollered for the guards that were stationed down the hallway. "I don't know how the guy got in here. He didn't kill any guards that I noticed on my way here."

"By the way, Gwendal, how did you know to come to me?"

"Oh, I sensed your maryoku being used. It was one of your battle spells, wasn't it."

Gunter nodded, getting weaker as more blood seeped out of his wound. When the guards arrived, Gwendal sent two of them to find and wake Gisela. The other two were sent to check the castle grounds for any signs the intruder may have left. Gwendal knelt down next to Gunter and tried to start cleaning his cut.

"This isn't good, old friend. It's not even trying to stop bleeding. His blade must have had some sort of poison on it."

Gunter grunted. "It's not a surprise. With a sneak attack like that, he had to have fail-safes in place to make sure I died." He let out a small laugh, then winced again.

"Gunter?" a voice called softly from the door.

"H-heika. You're awake. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"Oh good god, Gunter, what happened?!" Yuri rushed over to the adjutant's side, kneeling next to Gwendal. There was a sizable pool of blood on the floor.

"Someone made it in the castle and attacked me. I'm glad to see that you're okay. I guess they weren't after you."

"Gwendal, what can I do to help? This looks bad."

"Gisela is on her way. She should be here soon." Gwendal shook his head. "Unless you know how to stop an unknown poison, then you can't really do anything."

Yuri leaned forward and placed blue-glowing hands on his adviser's ribs. Gunter gasped at the sudden contact and cringed against the painful touch. As Yuri worked, his hands started glowing brighter. Gwendal held Gunter down while their king worked. Gunter arched up out of the chair with a yelp, then collapsed, exhausted. Yuri pulled his hands back and gave the older man a worried look.

"I'm not sure how much that helped. I hope it did something."

Gisela popped in the door at that point. "How is Papa doing?"

"Much... better. Heika took care of me."  
"Please check him, still, Gisela. I'm not really a healer. I just let the maryoku do it's thing." Yuri stood back and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Heika, you may not be a healer, but I don't think even I could have done this good of a job on Papa. Thank you, your majesty. We just need to get him to his room." She turned to Gunter with a stern look. "Now, Papa. I know you are going to want to get up and work like usual, but you've lost a lot of blood. I want you resting for at least the next couple of days. If you can't do that, I'll have Uncle Gwendal hold you down on your bed!"

Gunter threw his hands up weakly in defense. "I understand, Darling. I will stay in my room-"

"In your bed," she interrupted.

"Okay," Gunter said with a weak laugh, "in my bed. For a couple of days." He looked over at Yuri. "I apologize, Heika. I won't be of much service to you for a little while."

Yuri had an unreadable look on his face. He walked over to Gunter and put a hand on the older man's arm, concerned about the shiver he felt. "Don't worry about it. I need you healthy, so you should rest for as long as necessary."

Gunter blushed and nodded. He started to stand, but collapsed to the floor before he could take two steps. Gwendal helped him back to his feet, but before he could pick him up, Yuri had swept Gunter into his arms. The older man gasped and blushed even brighter. Yuri moved toward the door, the other occupants in the room staring in shocked silence. Before he left, he turned and smiled timidly.

"Now what kind of king would I be if I couldn't take care of my advisers."

With that Yuri left, making his way to Gunter's room. He could feel the older man's heartbeat pounding against his chest. It was probably just from pain and loss of blood. Yuri bit his lip as he walked. He'd wanted to hold Gunter for the longest time, and couldn't figure out why. Now that he was getting to, it was better than he had hoped. The tall man's frame fit nicely in his arms, and Yuri bit his lip. The younger man could feel Gunter's muscular build through his clothes. He opened his mouth to say something to Gunter, but they had arrived at his room already. Gunter reached out a hand and opened the door.

Yuri had never been inside Gunter's room before, but it was exactly like he'd imagined it hundreds of times. Overstuffed bookshelves lined one entire wall. A chair and lamp sat in one corner by the bookshelves. The window seat had several pillows and a blanket draped across it. Gunter's bed was the last thing Yuri looked at. The bed was perfectly made, not a single wrinkle showed. On the nightstand next to the bed there was a lamp and another stack of books. Yuri stood in indecision in the middle of the room.

"Heika?"

"Huh? Oh."

"You can put me down now, I think."  
"Oh! Yeah, okay. Here or on the bed?"

"I think on the window seat if you don't mind," Gunter said a bit breathlessly. It felt so nice to be held by the younger man. When Yuri paused, Gunter looked up and it was almost his undoing. Yuri's lips were just a breath away from his and the younger man's teeth were worrying the lower lip. With just one tiny movement, Gunter could live one of his fantasies. He shook his head mentally, shifting slightly in Yuri's arms. He startled Yuri out of whatever he'd been thinking.

"Window seat? Gotcha." He sat the older man down and felt oddly sad about the loss of contact. Yuri placed a chaste kiss on Gunter's forehead. He couldn't hide his blush, so he turned away quickly and moved toward the door. "If you need anything at all, at any time, just send someone for me. I want to make sure that you'll be fine."

"I should be, Heika. I'm sorry that you had to carry me all this way. I don't mean to be a nuisance."

With his back still turned, Yuri answered, "you'll never be a nuisance to me. I just hope we can figure out why someone wants you dead." His heart lurched at that thought. "Get some rest, Gunter, I'll see you soon," he said before nearly bolting out the door.

o.O.o

Gunter watched his young king leave rather quickly. He dropped his head back on the cushions and placed a hand on his heart, hoping to slow down the pounding. Yuri had carried him all the way here and kissed him! Well, only on the forehead, but still! He felt like a giddy little school boy. He shifted uncomfortably. Yuri hadn't seemed to notice just how much he had affected the older man. Gunter was glad of that. He'd never be able to show his face ever again if the king knew he gave him a hard-on.

He knew it was probably not the best idea, but he really wanted a shower, a cold shower. It was getting more and more difficult to hide his feelings. Gunter made his way carefully to the shower. Heika had healed the wound, but the blood loss couldn't be overcome with anything but time and rest. Gunter let the water run for a while, then stepped in. The shock of the cold water took his breath away. He had been hoping that the cold water would relax him, but the ache between his legs made him groan and drop his head against the wall. He reached down and started stroking, finding release quickly, whispering Yuri's name. After cleaning himself up, Gunter dressed and sat back down on the window seat.

He reached for a sketchpad. Drawing always calmed him down, and it was relaxing, so Gisela couldn't get onto him about it. He let his fingers fly across the page and in minutes, he had drawn the outlines of his assailant. He finished it after a few more minutes. The eyes seemed to pierce right through him. He'd have to get this to Gwendal. First, though, he needed to sleep. His body was shutting down, eyes drifting closed, forcing him to get the rest he needed.

Gwendal popped his head in a couple of hours later to check on his old friend. Gunter had always been able to bounce back from anything, so seeing him sprawled uncomfortably, and very much asleep, on the window seat cushions threw the General for a loop. When he lifted Gunter to put him in bed, a paper slipped from his fingers. Gunter woke up with a jolt, first flashing a smile, then a frown at Gwendal.

"I'm sorry, Gunter, I thought you'd be more comfortable on your bed."

"No, no it's not that, I just," Gunter sighed, "I was having a wonderful dream and thought when I woke up that maybe it wasn't a dream."

"I see. Were you expecting it to be Heika carrying you?"

Gunter pushed until Gwendal stood him on the floor. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"Gunter, how long have we been friends? I've known about your feelings for Yuri-Heika for quite some time." He paused and gave the lavender haired mazoku an odd smile. "You've changed, old friend. There's a lightness to your step and a brightness to your eyes that I don't think I've ever seen."

"I shouldn't love him," Gunter whispered. "He just took me by surprise."

"I think he's surprised all of us. We were expecting either someone as carefree as my mother, or someone as harsh as my uncle. Yuri is neither of those, and it was a shock. I myself kept wondering when the boy's soft heart would finally destroy the country. He's proven to be the best king we could have ever imagined."

"I know. And I know that everyone loves him, but why do I have to be _in love_ with him. I've always been alone. I've gotten used to it. I never thought I'd find somebody. Of course with my luck, I have to fall in love with the king, and one who has shown no interest in getting married. He broke up with Wolfram a few years ago and hasn't made any advances toward anyone since."

He walked over and sat down on his bed. Gwendal followed, dropping an arm around his shoulders. "The worst part about being in love, is being in love alone."

"Maybe you could try talking to him. He has a huge amount of respect for you, he even cares about you. Who knows, maybe Heika even loves you in return."

Gunter dropped back on the bed. His energy had finally been depleted. "Yeah, that kind of thing only happens in my dreams."

Gwendal watched as his friend's eyes closed, and he fell into a troubled sleep. Poor Gunter. Why did this kind of thing have to happen to such a wonderful person. Gunter always took care of everyone else, never thinking about his own welfare. He needed someone that would take care of him and keep him from overdoing it.

o.O.o

The next morning, Yuri made his way slowly down to the baths. They had been unsuccessful in finding any information about the man that made it all the way in to Gunter's office. One of the guards had been poisoned with the same substance that had affected Gunter, but that was the only other clue. It was as though the man were a shadow, but his very obvious corpse proved that he was real.

"Hey, kiddo," Yozak called from the shadows before joining Yuri on his way to the baths.

"Oh god, Yozak, I didn't see you there."

"Well, that's the point, isn't it? I'd be a terrible spy if people saw me."

"I suppose that's true," Yuri said with a laugh. They walked on in silence for a while longer before Yozak spoke up again.

"So I hear you're the one that carried Gunter-sama to his room."

Yuri blushed and rubbed his cheek. "Yeah, he wasn't able to walk very well on his own, so I helped him."

"Oh, ho! What's with the red face? Maybe it wasn't just to help the old guy that you carried him."

"I don't know what you mean. And Gunter isn't _that_ old."

"You mean you didn't have ulterior motives?"

"I-I don't know. Should I not have carried him? I mean, Gwendal was there and all, and I know he could have, but I'm the king and I just wanted to take care of one of my people. Gunter has done a lot for me that I've never shown appreciation for and I just wanted to make sure he was going to be okay."

"Don't worry, Heika, you didn't do anything inappropriate." Then he added almost to himself, "though I do wonder how Gunter-sama took it."

"What?"

"It's not my place to say, kiddo. I'm just glad you're not engaged to the bratling anymore. Here we are."

The baths were a safe haven for Yuri. It was here that he could soak away the day's troubles and relax away from everything. He would sometimes soak for what felt like hours, just thinking though his problems. Today he had a major one and it came in the form of a mazoku with beautiful lavender hair and amethyst colored eyes.

For the first few years after he came to Shin Makoku, he avoided Gunter like the plague. The man would crush him to his chest every time he returned from a trip. He cried at the slightest thing. Worst of all, his lectures would last for hours about things that Yuri didn't understand. For the last several months, though, Yuri found himself enjoying the lectures because he could sit and listen to Gunter's smooth, sexy voice for hours. The tears he had gotten used to. As for the hugs, just remembering the feel of the adjutant's arms around him made his heart flutter. He found himself returning the hugs.

Yuri had completely forgotten that Yozak was bathing with him until the spy wandered over and offered to wash his back and he accepted before continuing his thoughts. He felt breathless every time Gunter smiled at him. Lately, though, Gunter had been avoiding him. He hadn't sought out Yuri if he was late for lessons, and even more recently, had refrained from his nearly bone crushing hugs.

"Yozak," Yuri began.

"Yes, Heika?"

"Has something happened lately to make Gunter want to stay away from me?"

"You mean, why has he been leaving you alone?" Yuri nodded. "I think you're going to have to bring that up with Gunter-sama. It's not my place to say, if something has happened between you two."

"Yeah, I guess that's best. Wait, did something happen? No, don't answer that. Thanks, Yozak. I, well, I think I'll just head off to breakfast."

Yozak watched as Yuri pulled himself out of the bath and wrapped a towel around his waist before taking the secret tunnel to his chambers. The kid was so oblivious to Gunter's feelings, as well as to his own. That overly emotional mazoku had loved the king from the beginning. Yozak slowly climbed out of the bath, thinking about what could be done to get them together. First, though, would be the problem of finding out who, and with what, had poisoned that guard, and why they wanted Gunter-sama dead.

o.O.o

Yuri paced the castle hallways later that night. He had been unable to sleep. Thoughts pounded through his skull like a tidal wave on the coast. Who was after Gunter and why? What did Yozak know that he wasn't sharing with Yuri? Why was Gunter leaving him alone lately? And what in the name of Shino did Yuri feel for Gunter?!

His path took him right by the hallway that led to Gunter's room. Yuri very nearly turned to go that way, but stopped. It was too late at night to bother his teacher. Instead, he leaned up against the wall and swiped his hand over his face. It was hard to deny that he felt something for the older man, but what exactly he did feel remained hidden.

A stray thought struck Yuri. He pushed off the wall and made for his office at a brisk pace. Whatever his feelings for Gunter, nothing would come of it if he got hurt. Or worse, if he got killed. They had to find the people behind the attack, and Yuri was a man with a purpose.

_**So there we have it. Who's after Gunter? Will Yuri find out? Please review and let me know what you think. See you all in chapter 2!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Well, here we are with chapter 2. Gunter has always struck me as the strong type, both physically and mentally. He has it all together, except for his love life. I'm hoping he can find a fix for that part of his life.**_

Gunter woke up on the second day after being attacked earlier than his daughter would have liked. Dawn had just barely broken. Gisela would strangle him if she knew he was already out of bed and mostly dressed. He felt better than he had the other night, much better in fact, and couldn't bring himself to lay around any longer. He had things to do that were waiting for him. Gunter started gathering things to take to his office when he heard a soft, almost hesitant, knock on his door. After what happened the other night, Gunter was on alert and ready for anything.

"Enter," he called just to see if it was someone he knew. He had one hand up and swirling with maryoku, the other hand rested on his sword. Yuri opened the door.

"Gunter... Oh you're up already." Yuri looked at Gunter's bare chest and quickly away, blushing. "Uh, well, good morning. I know it's early, but I missed lessons yesterday and uh..."

"Yes, I was wondering if you would stop by so we could finish our conversation about the merits of the tenth Maoh and his building projects." He knew Yuri would never have sought him out for lessons, but he played along anyway.

"Or about what's going on with you being attacked. We still haven't found anything. Yozak's been sent out to see what he can find. Conrad is with him. Gwendal has been checking his network of information. So far, he hasn't heard back from anybody."

"Well, it could take time, your highness." Gunter slid into his shirt and buttoned it. With his senses still tingling from the possibility of attack, he was acutely aware of being stared at. Why would Yuri be staring at him?

"I know, but while we wait for things to happen, you could get hurt again. I really don't want that to happen."

"No worries, Heika, I'll... be..."

Gunter trailed off as he stared in disbelief at what he was seeing. Right before his eyes, a trail of smoke grew and slithered from across the room. It eased itself over the bookshelves, his bed, tables and chairs. Yuri's jaw fell open. It almost seemed alive. When he looked at Gunter, a chill passed over him and he touched the older man's arm. Gunter shook himself out of his stupor and gave Yuri a look laced with fear.

"Heika, if this is what I think it is, do not let it touch you. It can grab and hold on. If it's on you for longer than a minute, it brings a long, slow death. Let's move toward the window and I'll figure out what to do."

"What do you mean?" Yuri said as he backed up with Gunter.

"It's called Shadow Poison. Only a very few people have maryoku strong enough to summon it. It only attacks in the room it's summoned to and will dissipate an hour after it's activated, leaving behind no trace. I haven't seen it in many years."

They had backed all the way to the window. Yuri looked outside. Gunter just had to have a room toward the top of the castle. Jumping would likely cause their deaths, though if Gunter was right, staying here would cause their deaths as well. He let out a growl of terror and frustration. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. He grabbed Gunter's hand and took a step forward as a wave of blue maryoku washed across the room, driving the shadow poison back several feet. His hair started to lengthen and Yuri fought to stay in control. He dragged a shocked Gunter behind him as another blue wave cleared the path to the door. The shadow seemed to have a mind of it's own and lashed out at Gunter as the men reached the doorway. Yuri shoved Gunter through and caught the attack across his bare arms before slamming the door behind him.

"Heika! That was close. What made you think that you could push back the shadow?"

Gunter turned when Yuri took a while to answer. The king's face was a ghastly gray color and the younger man was sweating while leaning heavily against the wall. Gwendal ran up the hallway with several guards. Gisela was close on his heels. If the previous attack had been any indication, her services would be needed. Neither one of them could have guessed that it was their king that required the medical attention. The group reached the pair as the young king started to slide down the wall. Gunter yelped and threw his arms around Yuri before he could hit the floor.

"Heika! Heika, were you hit? I didn't think it had gotten you!" Gunter remembered being shoved and lifted Yuri tenderly into his arms. "Oh, Heika, why didn't you let it get me? You... you didn't need to get hurt on my account."  
Yuri reached a shaky hand up and ran his fingers down Gunter's cheek. "I can't have you getting hurt again. Not when we're trying to figure everything out."

Gunter gave Yuri a slightly confused look. What did he mean, figure everything out? Could it be-? Gunter shook his silvery hair and clutched the younger man against his chest. No time for wondering right now. Yuri was seriously injured.

Gisela motioned for her father to follow her. Gunter muttered the words "shadow poison" to Gwendal before taking off after the younger woman. The shock on Gwendal's face matched the look that Gunter had shown previously. The General barked for one of the guards to find Anissina. The crazy inventor was amazing with things like this and he could use all the help he could get to figure out who set the poison. If memory served correctly, it would be gone within the hour.

o.O.o

Gunter laid Yuri down on the exam table and finally got a good look at what the poison had done. Yuri's arms had two thick, almost black, lines down each arm. The wounds seems to writhe as he watched them. The older mazoku bit his lip and tried to hold back his tears. It was only a brief contact, so as long as they could remove most of the poison, the maryoku from the Maoh should heal the rest of it. The only down side was that the pain would be excruciating. He brushed the hair out of Yuri's eyes as Gisela went to work.

"Gunter," Yuri said weakly.

"Y-yes, Heika."

"You're going to cry again."

"Yes, Heika."

"Please don't. It's not your fault. Agggh!"

Yuri curled into a ball on the table, clutching his arms to his stomach. He started moaning and shaking. Gisela shot a look at Gunter and he nodded. He put his hands on Yuri's shoulders as Gisela strapped Yuri's arms down straight out from his body. The younger man got a panicked look in his eyes. Gunter knew just how bad it would be and tried to send calming maryoku to him.

"Papa, I need you to try to keep him calm. This isn't going to be easy, and the more I can focus to remove the poison the better."

"I've been hurt before. It can't be that ba- AAAAAAH-!"

"Heika, it's going to be okay." Gunter tried to hold himself together as Yuri scream seemed to last an eternity. The younger man thrashed against him, nearly yanking his arms out of the restraints. He kept screaming as Gisela's maryoku worked on one arm to get at the poison.

"Heika! It's okay. Please, you have to calm yourself. I know it hurts!" Yuri thrashed and kicked Gisela in the arm.

"Papa, he needs to stop moving so much. You have to do something!"

Gunter acted without thinking. He climbed on top of Yuri on the exam table, pinning his legs underneath his body. He kept his hands on Yuri's shoulders and watched as his king stopped screaming for a moment to stare at the adviser in shock. Gunter smiled softly at him. When Gisela began working on the other arm, Yuri couldn't fight back the screams once again. Gisela motioned angrily at her father and the older man could think of only one thing that might shock Yuri into silence. He leaned forward, not caring that his daughter would be watching, and placed a long, slow kiss on Yuri's lips.

The younger man's eyes snapped open, then slowly closed as he tried to push his lips into the kiss. He seemed to not notice the pain of the poison as it was removed. Gunter slid one hand off of Yuri's shoulders and up to cup his cheek. He knew that Yuri would most likely not remember the kiss once the poison was gone. It seemed to remove a person's memories from the moment they got poisoned, so he took advantage of this brief bit of time. He licked Yuri's lower lip and when the younger man sighed and opened his mouth, Gunter slipped his tongue inside, claiming the king's mouth. He knew it would hurt later when the kiss was forgotten, but he hoped that maybe some of his feelings would linger. He really wanted Yuri to know how he felt. Gisela finished up with the last of the healing and quietly left the exam room. Neither man noticed. Yuri shifted underneath him and both men let out a soft groan.

"Gunter, my hands."

Gunter shook his head. "You don't need to move around unnecessarily. We'll leave your hands there for the time being."

The younger man pushed his hips up against his adviser, causing both of them to moan again. Their tongues intertwined and Gunter had to fight himself to not strip both of them down. He wanted that kind of thing to be experienced when both people involved would remember. He pulled back and kissed the tip of Yuri's nose, then his forehead. Yuri started to fade off at that point, much to his chagrin, and Gunter sat up, his cheeks red from the passionate kisses. Gisela came back into the room and just stared at her father in shock. He climbed off the table. They both watched as Yuri sank into a peaceful sleep, his breathing evening out thankfully.

"Papa, I didn't know you had it in you to do that."

"I'm sorry, Honey. I just couldn't think of any other way to calm him down."

"Talking to him would probably have worked well enough, and you know it. He likes your voice," Gisela said with a chuckle. Then she continued on in a softer voice, "but you know he won't remember any of it."

Gunter nodded and pulled the blanked up around Yuri. "I know, but for just that brief time, Yuri seemed to return my feelings. He may never remember the kiss, but part of him might remember that I truly care for him."

"I hope so, Papa. He'll be out for a few days, so we'll leave him here. You could post guards to make sure he stays safe." Gisela moved to check Yuri's breathing, and when she found him to be fine, she turned to her father. "By the way, how is your wound?"

"Heika took care of it very well. I feel fine, but I will take it easy for today. Besides, my main pupil is laying here asleep." He brushed the hair out of Yuri's eyes again and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I should check and see what Gwendal has figured out. I will be back to check on Heika in a couple of hours."

Gisela nodded and watched her father's gaze linger a little longer on the sleeping king. After a minute or so, Gunter strode out of the room purposefully. The healer wanted to make sure that Yuri would sleep well, so she placed a hand on either side of his head, letting her maryoku wash through his skull. Even though he had seemed relaxed, the king sunk down into the bed a little bit more and let out a sigh of relief. She left the room, satisfied that her patient would be fine, and hoping that he would remember what happened between him and her papa.

o.O.o

Gunter could hear the yelling long before he saw the man behind it. Gwendal was tearing into somebody about something. The closer he got, the more he could make out of the words. By the time he rounded the corner, Gunter had an idea of what was being said. Two of the guards on duty had left their posts to go out drinking, thinking that General von Voltaire wouldn't find out. They never thought that an attack would happen, causing the king to be in mortal danger, and endangering others in the castle as well. Gunter almost felt sorry for the two men being berated, but an ashen faced Yuri flashed in his mind and his anger boiled to the top as well.

"Sir, I'm sorry. We're sorry. We never thought something like that would happen."

"It doesn't matter. You guys weren't there and something horrible did happen. What would you have done if Heika had been killed, or anyone else for that matter!"

"As is so happens, Heika is doing fine. However, if you two don't pack your things and leave the castle now, I will show you how I've earned my reputation with a sword." Gunter's eyes flashed at the soldiers. They snapped to attention. Gunter whipped out his sword and held the point at the shorter soldier's throat. "I said leave. Now."

Gwendal put a hand on his friend's arm. "It's okay, Gunter. They've been discharged and will be leaving. I would like to finish my talk with them. I'll meet you in my office in ten minutes. Conrad and Yozak are back and in there already."

Gunter nodded and stomped away. If he had to look at those two any longer, he would not be responsible for his actions. He quickened his pace. Conrad and Yozak were in Gwendal's office. Might as well talk to them to cool off. He knocked on the office door, then entered quietly. The two younger men were sitting awfully close together. Gunter hid a smile behind his hand. The pair had been close for as long as Gunter could remember, and that was a long time. He cleared his throat and they both looked up at him.

"So, did you guys find anything on your journey?"

"Just that there were some unusual people in a couple of the villages, but nobody can give a clear description." Conrad shook his head, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, and two of the villagers had a really weird black line on them." When Gunter gasped, Yozak speared him with a look. "I'm guessing you know what that means?"

"Shadow poison. I was attacked a few hours ago with it."

"What?!" Conrad leaped off of the couch. He had only heard rumors of the poison, but knew it had adverse consequences. "It didn't get you did it?"

"It didn't get me..."

"Gunter, what do you mean by that?"

Gwendal walked in the door. "Heika was hit. Just across the arms, and Gisela has removed the poison. He'll be sleeping for a few days, but she said he'll be alright." He shot a knowing glance at Gunter, and the adjutant blushed. It seemed that Gisela didn't keep her mouth shut about what happened with Yuri.

"Can we see him?" Yuri's godfather was still very protective of him. Having something happen when he was not on watch bothered him greatly.

"I think for now we'll just let him sleep. What did you guys find out in the villages?"

While the three men talked, Gunter stood by the window, watching the medical building. Yuri was in there, sleeping. The adjutant ran a finger over his lips and smiled sadly. He would carry the memory with him always, but Yuri would most likely have forgotten by now. Gunter let out a big sigh. Why did he have to do that? It would be worse now that he knew how nice it felt to kiss that young man.

"Gunter. Gunter?"

"Oh, yes?"

"I was just asking if you could explain a little bit about the shadow poison. I have an idea of what it is, but Conrad and Yozak are still mostly in the dark."

"Ah, well. It's not a poison for which you can collect the ingredients and make. How can I explain this? The shadow poison is almost like an entity. It's a gathering of dark magic that is summoned for a single purpose. For example, the version in my room. It was made to attack me. If I hadn't been in the room, it wouldn't have activated. The most frustrating part about it is that it disappears an hour after it's activated, so it can be very hard to determine its origin."

Yozak shook his head. "So is this something that can be summoned at will?"

"No. It's a very powerful spell, so only very powerful mazoku can summon it. I know of only a handful of people capable of doing so, and two of them are in this room."

All eyes shot to Gwendal, and he held up his hands. "I've only heard of the stuff in legends. I never thought it actually existed. No records of it have been seen in two hundred years."

Gunter nodded. "It has been about that long since I've seen it myself. I watched it destroy the man that had summoned it. He didn't know how to control it, so it was activated by his daughter. He threw himself on top of her and it slowly killed him. She was able to escape. I haven't heard about her since."

"Then who would have set it on you?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out. Two attacks in three days. I'm starting to get worried. Especially about Heika. I need to not be near him in case something happens again."

"Does that mean you are leaving the castle?"

"I will as soon as Yuri wakes up and I know that he's truly okay."

"He's not going to like it."

"I think he'll get over it. It's not like he likes me. He always avoids me at all cost." Gunter shrugged and wiped away a tear. "I think I'll go check on him once more, then get to some work. There's a lot to do before I can leave."

The three men left behind stared at Gunter's back as he shut the door behind himself. Yozak let out a low whistle. Conrad smiled at him and threw an arm around the spy's shoulders. Gwendal raised an eyebrow at the two. They were finally showing their feelings in public.

"Old Whiny has it bad for the kiddo, huh?"

"Gisela said the two shared quite the kiss while she was removing the poison."

"Oh really?" Conrad said with an almost evil smile. "If he has any intentions with my godson, he needs to let me know. I'm not sure I approve."

Yozak started laughing. "Captain, don't forget. Yuri-Heika is an adult. If he wants to be with Gunter, he'll figure it out. You can stop being such a mother bearbee."

After a few more minutes of joking, the men got down to business. Conrad and Yozak would go farther out and check the villages for any signs of the intruders. Gwendal would keep checking with his contacts. None of them wanted to let Gunter leave, so they made a plan to keep him around. One that could end in disaster if they were wrong about a certain double black's feelings.

o.O.o

Gunter slipped quietly into Yuri's room at the medical facility. Gisela was staying away for the time being, to give her father some privacy. She felt bad when he cried, and she knew that there would probably be some crying. Her father was good at it.

Yuri looked almost like a statue, laying unmoving on his bed. The only thing that proved he was still alive was the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. Gunter sat down softly on the side of the bed and pulled one of Yuri's hands in between his own. The younger man shifted restlessly, turning his head toward Gunter.

"Mmmmm..."

Gunter was surprised that Yuri would even make a sound. From what he knew about the poison, any survivors slept unmoving like the dead for several days. He ran his fingers through thick black hair, and was surprised again when Yuri moved into the touch. Gunter bent down and placed a kiss on Yuri's cheek. A smile slowly spread across the king's face.

"I know you can't hear me, Heika, but I wanted to let you know something. I love you. I think I always have, but it's definitely grown into something more." Gunter took a deep breath. "You make me happy, happier than I have ever been. Is it okay for me to want to stay with you?" Hair fell across his shoulders as he shook his head. "I can't stay though. Twice now I've been attacked. One of those times injured you."

Yuri started to move around more on the bed. His free hand raised up in the air, grasping for something. Gunter reached over and pulled that hand in between his own with the other one. Yuri seemed to relax just a bit from the added contact, but there was still something obviously bothering him. Gunter couldn't believe it. Yuri shouldn't be moving. Was the Maoh involved?

"Gunter. Don't. Go." Yuri rolled over against Gunter's legs. "I haven't figured out what I feel for you. I haven't kissed you yet. Don't leave me alone in the dark!"

Gunter bit back tears. Yuri had already forgotten the kiss. It wasn't a surprise, but it still caught Gunter off guard. He pulled Yuri's hands up to his lips and kissed his fingers. Yuri seemed to relax a little more and stopped moving. Gunter leaned down to make sure he was still breathing. After placing one more kiss on Yuri's forehead, the older man released his hands and walked slowly out of the room. Gisela said nothing as her father left the building. He looked like he needed to be alone.

_** Well, that's it for chapter 2. What do you think so far? Will Gunter be convinced to stay? He has too much honor to agree to put his king's life in danger, but can he set aside his pride to be near the one who needs him? Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you for sticking with me so far!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 begins! Thank you all for sticking with me so far. I cannot express how much I love Gunter. He is such a sweetie! Anyway, enough of that. What will Gunter do?**

The week dragged on. Each day, Gunter spent time with a sleeping Yuri, wrapped up all the loose ends around the castle, and showed the assistant librarian how to do the job by himself. There was never a lost moment. Each second was accounted for so that Gunter could feel comfortable leaving the king on his own. By the end of the day, Gunter would collapse onto his bed, sometimes not even undressing, and on his way to sleep thinking that he forgot to eat. His final thought of each day was just how much he was going to miss that black haired young man.

Gunter was so wrapped up in his own suffering that he never noticed the worried glances of his friends and subordinates around him. Rumors were flying around the castle that Gunter had caught ill, as pale and frail as he started looking. After four days, Gwendal took it upon himself to pull his friend aside and figure out what was going on. He finally found him in the library, polishing one of the bookshelves.

"Gunter," Gwendal called out. The adjutant didn't seem to hear him. "Hey, Gunter." This time he tapped his friend on the arm.

"Great Shino! Oh Gwendal, it's you. Did you need something?"

"Actually, yes. Conrad and Yozak should be back today and I was wanting to make sure you were in my office so we could discuss whatever they find."

"Ah, okay Gwendal. Uh, should I come now?"

"That would be fine. Could you set up a tray for tea?"

"Tea. Yes. I-I can do that."  
Gwendal dismissed himself then with the hopes that Gunter would actually remember to come to his office. It was true that the two younger men should be back today, but that was definitely not the only reason he needed his long time friend to show up. He rubbed a weary hand over his face and noticed that his eyebrow was twitching. Gunter was not the only one worried about Yuri. The whole castle was on its toes waiting for their king to wake up.

o.O.o

Gunter made his way to Gwendal's office less than an hour later with a tea cart in tow. He hadn't eaten a thing in four days and he knew that somehow Gwendal knew it, which is why the General requested the tea. Gunter swallowed back the nausea that pushed up his throat. The food would never stay down, but he prayed to Shino that the tea wouldn't come back up if he could force himself to drink it.

He reached the office door and raised a hand to knock. Gwendal must have heard the tray coming, because he opened the door as the adjutant's hand swung forward. He motioned Gunter inside and to a chair without saying a word. Slowly he made each of them a cup of tea, not even offering to fix Gunter a plate of food. That just confirmed that Gwendal knew he hadn't been eating. Gunter tried to take a sip from the cup he had been offered, but the smell wafted past his nose made his stomach clench in protest.

"Gunter, I'm worried about you. We've talked about this. You cannot leave Heika alone."

Gunter choked down a sip of tea. "We have talked about it, and I _can_ leave. Besides, Yuri is not alone."

Gwendal raised an eyebrow, unnoticed by his long time friend. "Since when have you started calling him by his given name?"

"W-what do you mean?" Gunter was afraid of what the other man could be talking about.

"Gunter, you love him, and if my guess is right, he loves you too."

"I do love him," Gunter almost whispered. "But he has always avoided me and treated me with less respect than everyone else. Even Anissina gets more attention from him than I do. I just think I should leave."

"Gunter, my old friend, we've seen far too many battles to be having this argument. It would be better if we all stick together. You have always tried to outcast yourself. Don't worry so much. We'll figure this out."

"Ah, yes. I know. It's just in my nature to worry overly much about everything." The chuckle that Gunter let out sounded fake even to his own ears.

Before Gwendal could reply, Conrad and Yozak burst into the room. Both looked like they hadn't slept in weeks, and both looked grim. Gwendal motioned for them to sit on the couch near his desk and made the two younger men cups of tea. Yozak dragged the cart of food closer and attacked it like a man starved.

"So what have you learned? Did you find anything in the other villages?"  
"Well, one village knew nothing of what had been happening here," Yozak mumbled around a mouthful of cake. "They hadn't been touched at all."

Conrad was a little more reserved about his eating. "The other four villages we visited had been attacked, but no one had any black marks on them. It looked like whoever attacked them was looking for something." Once he had finished his comment, he then took a gentlemanly bite of cake.

"Did anyone know what they were looking for?" Gunter asked.

Both men shook their heads. Conrad spoke up again so Yozak could eat. "Each house in those villages were ransacked. None of the attackers asked about anything or even said a word. Every one of them was dressed head to toe in black, and all that could be seen was their eyes."

"It sounds like the man who attacked me last week." Gunter said in surprise.

"Gunter, do you have any idea who could be behind this? The two times that they've made a move on the castle, they keep targeting you specifically, so there must be some reason they are trying to take you out." Gwendal had gone into General mode.

Gunter shook his head. "I've been trying for several days now to figure out who I wronged in the past, but I can think of nothing and no one, which is why I'm leaving tonight."

His last comment was met by gasps from the other three men in the room. Yozak even started choking on his cake. Conrad pounded on his back while shooting a shocked look at the silver haired man in the chair. Gwendal had jumped up from his chair in surprise They thought they'd have at least a few more days to come up with a plan.

"Why?! What do you think you can accomplish by leaving now? Especially if you leave before Heika wakes up!"

"I know it may seem stupid to some, but this is the way I can show how much I truly care about our Heika. I cannot keep placing him in danger, and if I keep being attacked, he may yet again get caught in the crossfire."

Gunter stood up, causing the pair on the couch to leap to their feet. The tone of Gunter's voice struck everybody and they all knew he didn't expect to live once he left the castle. Conrad moved lightning quick to block Gunter's way to the door. He had never seen his mentor look so defeated. Indeed, he never thought anything could take Gunter down so low.

"What is Yuri going to think? You were upset that he may forget the kiss you two shared, but how upset will he be to find that his closest adviser has left him? Do you know what he will do?" Conrad shouted at the sorcerer. "He _will_ go after you! He's my godson! I don't know what I'll do if he loses his life."

"You can't let him! Please, Conrad." Gunter looked at the men behind him. "Yozak, Gwen, I need to do this. I need to protect him in my way. It'll be better for everyone if I just go."

"That is a load of crap, Gunter Von Christ, and you know it."

The occupants of the room yelped simultaneously. The Maoh had somehow made his way into the room without being noticed. After recovering from their shock, they realized that the Maoh was there in Yuri's body. Gunter was the first to speak up.

"H-heika! How are you out of bed?"

"Is he awake?" asked Gwendal.

"No, he is still recovering in here," the demon king tapped the side of his head. "I was able to conjure up enough maryoku to get him here. It felt like something was going really wrong, and I was right. I don't have much time, but please listen to me. He may not remember that you kissed him, but I do. He loves you, Gunter, more than you could ever dream of, even if he hasn't realized it yet. If you leave before he wakes up and is able to talk to you, you will ruin him."

"I can't stay. My presence puts him in danger."

"Your leaving will crush him and put him in even more danger. He needs to rest, even after he wakes up, and chasing you across the country is no way for him to rest. Conrad is right in saying that Yuri would go after you." The Maoh raised his hand and ran his fingers gently through Gunter's hair. The adjutant couldn't stop the tears that spilled down his cheeks. "Please," the demon king whispered, "please promise me that you will stay and take care of him. He needs you now more than ever." Gunter could do nothing but nod his agreement. The pain in the demon king's voice froze Gunter in place. "Besides, dear one, I have ways to entice you to stay. You have no idea what I am capable of." The demon king smirked and softly laid a hand on Gunter's left cheek. Gunter yelped as images flashed through his head.

First was of Yuri, wearing only a bathrobe, walking toward him. It was Gunter's favorite silk robe: Yuri had brought it from earth saying that it made him think of Gunter with the delicate pattern of lilac flowers all over it. Just as the robe started to fall open, and Gunter thought he would get a nosebleed, the image changed.

Yuri lay, panting and naked, underneath him. No, wait, Yuri wore pants. Gunter was naked. The king squirmed, rubbing deliciously against Gunter's exposed parts. Gunter let out a low moan that made Yuri squirm even more. The imaged changed again before things could get interesting.

Yuri was being held by Conrad. The younger man was sobbing. Gunter reached a hand out to Yuri, but it was only a dream. Or maybe a vision of what could be. Conrad looked distraught as well and kept rubbing Yuri's back. From what Gunter could make out, the soldier kept saying "he thought he was protecting you." Yuri shook his head every time the phrase was repeated and raised an almost lifeless, bloodied hand to push Conrad away. A jagged tear could be seen across the young king's ribs. Gunter turned and ran down the corridor before he saw any more. The horror of that scene washed away all of the excitement of the previous ones. There was no way he wanted to let Yuri get hurt, even if that meant staying by his side. Gunter gasped and started shaking.

The Maoh removed his hand from Gunter's cheek and caught the adjutant before he could collapse to the floor with wracking sobs. He nodded to Gwendal to take Gunter. His strength was fading fast. The General jumped over to hold his long time friend. Whatever the Maoh showed him must not have been good. Conrad and Yozak stood nearby, ready to help in an instant if needed.

The demon king bent to kiss Gunter on the forehead, then spoke up so the occupants of the room could hear. "This problem will only be solved by everyone working together. Don't let anyone one person get left behind, and yes, Gwendal, that means the lovely red-haired inventor too."

The blue glow started to flicker, and the Maoh started to wobble. Conrad grabbed his arm to keep him upright. "I can't hold on any longer. Just promise me you will protect him. He has such a wonderful, beautiful heart. He's taught me a lot."

His legs finally gave out as the blue glow disappeared. Before anyone could catch him, Yuri's body hit the floor with a thud. Gunter pushed out of Gwendal's arms, dropped to his knees beside the younger man, and gathered him to his chest sobbing. Gisela burst into the room at that point, freaked out that her should-be-immobile patient had somehow left the infirmary. She gasped and squatted next to the pair on the floor.

"Papa, I need to get him back to the infirmary. Can you help me?"

Gunter seemed to not hear her. Conrad walked over, picked up Yuri, and followed Gisela back out the door. Gwendal was surprised that Gunter didn't fight to keep Yuri, until his friend collapsed on his side. Four days of terrible sleep, stress, and no food had finally caught up to him. Gwendal motioned for Yozak to help him, and they half carried, half dragged Gunter to the infirmary.

o.O.o

Gunter woke up in a place other than his own room. He panicked for a moment, before memories of what happened washed over him. The Maoh had thought it important enough that Gunter stay that he found some way to take over Yuri's body to tell him. Gunter bit back a sob. Why? Why couldn't they just let him leave peacefully? Gisela bustled into the room, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh good, Papa. You're awake. You've been asleep for two days. Do you feel up to eating? I need you to sit with Yuri-Heika for a little bit while I run to the temple. One of the priestesses fell and broke her leg."

Gunter nodded and followed his daughter to Yuri's room. The king lay still, as was expected. Gisela pulled up a chair next to the bed and set a tray on the nightstand. Gunter sat down woodenly, never taking his eyes off of the face he had fallen in love with. Gisela pushed a piece of bread into her father's hand and hurried out of the room.

"I don't know what to say," Gunter started, tears slipping down his cheeks. "The Maoh part of you says that you love me, but do you really? He told me I can't leave. I... don't know what to do if I stay. I fear that my presence puts you in danger. I-"

Gunter was interrupted by Yuri shuffling restlessly on the bed. "Gunter, don't leave me! Don't... go..."

The older man grabbed for his hand and placed a kiss on his fingers. "It's okay, love, I am not going anywhere. I made a promise."

Yuri sat straight up in the bed, nearly knocking Gunter off of his chair. "Noooooo! Gunter, don't go!"

"Great Shino, you're awake!"

"Oh, Gunter. I dreamed that you left me. You can't! I haven't told you that-" Yuri seemed to come back to himself and realize what he had been about to say. He switched tracks. "You can't leave me, please promise me."

Gunter pulled Yuri's trembling body into an embrace. The younger man clutched at the arms that held him. "It's okay, don't worry. I made someone a promise, I'm not going to leave you."

His words and the gentle way in which he ran his fingers up and down Yuri's back seemed to relax him. The fingers gripping his arms loosened a fraction. Yuri leaned back, an almost embarrassed look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Gunter. I didn't mean to throw myself at you like that. I just don't want to lose you. You mean a lot to me, more than you probably know." Yuri stifled a yawn. "Shino, I'm tired! I've been out for how long?"

Gunter swallowed the lump in his throat. "Almost seven days."

"Why am I so tired? Geez, Gunter, I don't think I'll be awake... much... longer..."

The adjutant eased his king back onto the bed and covered him up. As he tried to leave, Yuri's arm shot out and caught his robes. Amid snores, Yuri muttered something like "please stay." There was a part of Gunter that warmed at the fact that the younger man wanted him around, even in his sleep. He called to one of the nurses and told her to go get Conrad and let him know the king had finally, officially woken up. She ran off with a nod. Gunter finally realized that he still had a chunk of bread in his hands. Now that Yuri-Heika had woke up, he did feel a bit like eating.

o.O.o

Conrad strode purposefully into the room. Gunter had sent the nurse with a message that canceled the meeting he was in, making him run here. The sight that greeted him was enough to make even a battle hardened soldier tear up. Gunter sat in a chair next to the bed, with his head laying on Yuri's chest. They seemed to be holding hands. Yuri's free arm held Gunter in an embrace, fingers tangled in the long silvery hair. Both of them were fast asleep. He didn't know if he should wake them up.

As it was, Yuri woke up first. He untangled his hand from Gunter's hair and raised a finger to his lips, hoping to keep Conrad quiet, and then waved him over. Conrad moved to the other side of the bed and pulled up his own chair. Yuri turned to him with a contented smile.

"I never thought I'd get to hold him," Yuri whispered. "I am so happy to have him next to me. Don't get me wrong, I know when we leave this room that there is something terrible out there waiting for us, but for now, I can enjoy having him by my side." Yuri took a deep breath. "Conrad, I think I love him."

Conrad sat silent, pondering the admission. "Well, I think he loves you too."

"No, you don't understand. I think I'm _in_ love with him." Yuri blushed, but knew that he needed to talk to someone about it. "For weeks, no months, now I have thought about him night and day. Lately, I want to touch him, hold him, kiss him." He cleared his throat, knowing his godfather didn't really want to hear more. "While I was out, I had one nightmare after another about him leaving. He told me he promised someone that he wouldn't leave, but Conrad, I don't know what I'll do if he leaves me. I can't let him go!"

Conrad gently rubbed Yuri's hair, soothing the young man's panic. "It's okay, Yuri, I'm pretty sure he was convinced to stick around. Besides, if he does try to leave, just confess to him, slap him, and then he'll stay."

"I don't think that's how it works. He doesn't love me the way that I want him to. He's been so distant lately... Anyway, enough about that, what have you found out?"

Conrad briefed Yuri about what had been happening in the villages. During that, Gunter woke up and made up a piece of bread and butter for Yuri. The young man thanked him, taking the bread, and trying to hide the tremble in his hand when their fingers brushed. Gunter shot him a concerned look, thinking the shaking was from the days of being ill. Conrad paused in his speech to swallow a lump in his throat. Those two looked like they belonged together. After Conrad had finished catching Yuri up on the last few days, Gunter ushered him out of the room, then sat back down in his chair.

"Heika, please do try to eat something before you go back to sleep. Oh, and here. Would you like some water or some tea?"

"Water," Yuri said around a mouthful of bread. "Thank you, Gunter. You don't have to stay any longer if you don't want to."

"Oh, Heika, you know how I am." Gunter smiled at the king, then broke out in true Gunter fashion, "I just can't stand to be apart from you! Heika, please don't make me leave your side!"

Yuri blushed. "You can stay if you want to. I'm not kicking you out."

Both men ate in companionable silence, just enjoying the simple fact that they were near each other. Soon, though, Yuri had eaten as much as he could handle, and his eyes started drooping. He placed the last bit of uneaten bread back on the tray before laying back on the bed. Gunter smoothed his hair back and pulled up the blankets. Yuri shot a nervous look at Gunter. Something had been weighing on his mind, something that his other half hinted at from deep within his mind. Yuri wanted to get everything out in the open, even if it meant uncomfortable silences with the man he loved.

"Gunter," Yuri said, hiding his nerves behind a yawn. "I had a crazy dream while I was out."

"Oh really, Heika."

"Yeah, I dreamed that you kissed me."

"What?!" Gunter almost screeched.

When Gunter looked in shock at Yuri's face, he saw that the young man had already fallen asleep. What a thing to spring on somebody when you knew you wouldn't be able to talk about it. Gunter ran a shaky hand through his hair. Did the king know what he was talking about, or did he think it really was just a dream?

What Gunter would never know was that Gisela heard the last of the conversation. She smiled just outside of the door, turned on her heel, and made off to find Conrad. The soldier would be interested to know what had just been said.

**Well, once again we've made it to the end of another chapter! Let me know what you think. Reviews are greatly appreciated. I can't help messing with Gunter at least a little bit. He takes himself too seriously sometimes.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we are again! Chapter 4 is coming up. I have a feeling that our awkward pair may have some more things thrust upon them in the near future. Yuri just can't seem to catch a break. As always, thank you for the reviews and keep them coming! **

Yuri's first visitor the next morning was none other than Yozak. The sexy spy had been wanting to see for himself that the kiddo was truly awake and doing better. He poked Yuri awake, gingerly avoiding the restrained limbs. Yuri greeted him with a sleepy and sad smile, before motioning him down into a chair.

"Well, Boy-o, you gave us all a scare when you saved Gunter-sama. Try to be more careful in the future!"

"I was just protecting one of my people. Besides, I've been hurt before, it's not anything new. As clumsy as I am, I'm guessing I'll be hurt again."

"Yeah, but this time you really could have died. Gunter-sama wouldn't have liked that at all," he said with a glance at Yuri to see his reaction. The king's expressionless face set alarm bells off in his head.

"Gunter has to know that I'd do anything to protect _any_ of my people. He's one of my people."

"That is probably not the explanation that he would want to hear from you."

That finally brought the younger man out of his stupor. Yuri looked at the red-haired spy in confusion. "What do you mean? What answer would he want?"

"If you don't know, kiddo, then that's something you'll have to figure out on your own." Yozak shot Yuri a sly smile before heading to the door. "Well, Heika, the Captain and I have some more looking to do. He said he filled you in on what's been happening, so I won't go into any details. Wish us luck, and good luck with your own search."

The spy bounced out the door just before Yuri could pelt him with questions. The younger man lay on his bed in the infirmary for what felt like an eternity. He wanted to get up and see what help he could offer, but Gisela had strapped him to the bed with padded leather cuffs. She said because of him having night terrors and nearly killing one of the nurses on duty, they'd have to keep him restrained for the time being. He yanked on cuffs, but they were reinforced by magic. An image of another time he was held down flashed in his mind, and Yuri gasped. That had been a dream, right? There was no way Gunter would have ever acted that way toward him.

"Hei-ka," Gunter called out as he walked through the door. "I brought some of your favorite treats. You've lost a lot of weight and maryoku. These will help restore both."

Yuri shot Gunter an almost panicked look. That image just would not go away: Gunter crouched over top of him, helping to pin him down, the older man's mouth locked against his own... "That," Yuri squeaked and cleared his throat, "that sounds good!"

Gunter was curious about Yuri's actions, but thought of it as nothing more than Yuri being embarrassed that he was tied down. He reached over and released Yuri's hands, a knot catching in his throat about the last time his king had been strapped down like that. Yuri sat up and rubbed his wrists. He reached over and picked up one of the pastries Gunter had made for him.

"Mmm! Gunter these are really good," Yuri said, hoping to distract himself from the older man's nearness.

Gunter blushed, happy that his Heika liked his cooking. He resisted the urge to go back to his old self and wrap Yuri up in a hug. Gunter sat on the chair next to the bed. Yuri continued to munch on his breakfast, not sure where his hunger had come from. The more he ate, the better he felt. By the time he finished the fourth pastry, he almost felt back to normal.

"So, Gunter, do you think I'll be able to go back to my room tonight?"  
Gunter looked almost ashamed for Yuri. "I'm sorry, Heika. After last night, we can't really be sure of what might happen. It'll be better if Gisela can observe you for a few days."

Tears filled Yuri's eyes. "Why would I do that to her Gunter? I came to last night with my hands around her throat. Her lips were already turning blue. I... I just don't know. Is this a side effect of the poison?"

"I'm not sure, Heika. There's just not much information about the shadow poison. It isn't one of the recorded symptoms."

Suddenly, the pastry Yuri had been trying to eat tasted like ash in his mouth. He put it down on the tray, lay back down, and turned away from Gunter as best as he could with his ankles strapped down. The older man didn't know what to say to his king. Yuri was always a gentle person and for that to have happened was a huge shock to everyone. Gunter reached over and rubbed his arm.

"I'm sorry, Gunter. Could you leave? I need to be alone for now."

Gunter had to fight back his own tears. "Y-yes, Heika." He stood to leave, but Yuri's devastated voice called to him.

"Just in case I fall asleep, can you strap my hands back down?"

Gunter nodded, pain gripping his heart. He reached for Yuri's closest hand, running his fingers across the palm in the pretense of casting a spell. He really just wanted contact with the younger man. Yuri bit his lip as he felt first one hand then the other being secured to the bed. Gunter bent and placed a kiss in the first palm, then kissed Yuri's forehead. Yuri bit his lip against the shiver that ran up his spine.

"Heika, you are not a bad person. You've proven that time and again. There's something going on, and we'll just have to figure it out. I'll be back with lunch.

Gunter's heart cracked a little as he left. He could hear Yuri's sobs starting as he closed the door on his king. Gisela threw herself into her father's arms, not holding back her own tears. It hurt her too, to see the young man in the other room so broken.

"I tried to heal him. I thought I'd removed all of the poison," she sobbed.

"Don't worry, honey, you did the best you could. Heika is awake, and that's a start." Gunter's own tears joined his daughter's. He led them away from Yuri's room and to Gisela's office. Conrad had promised to meet them there before he left with Yozak to discuss a plan of action.

o.O.o

Gunter made his way to his office after the meeting. They had come up with a sort of plan. Well, he told them what would happen, and they went along with it. He would be the one to stay in the same room as Yuri at night. The other two protested, but only for a moment. Gunter would hear nothing else of it. Out of all the people at the castle, Gunter's maryoku was the strongest and most likely to secure his majesty should he happen to break out of his restraints. Gunter would also observe what happened when Yuri had the night terrors. The sooner they got the problem taken care of, the better. Yuri would not handle it very well if he hurt yet another person.

The night before, Gunter had raided the great library and selected a few manuscripts to study. He hoped to find something, anything, to shed light on the shadow poison. He also hoped that maybe learning more about the poison would spark a memory and he would know who was coming after him and why. Gunter grabbed one of the older works and draped himself across his sofa.

The information was not new to him. It listed bits of a spell to cast the poison, but not the spell in it's entirety. He knew how to cast it. The only other person that he knew of to have put the spell in the right order had killed himself trying. Gunter ran a hand over his face. When he closed his eyes, Yuri's hopeless face filled his vision. He could feel his eye starting to twitch. Why did this have to happen to Heika?

Gunter pushed himself off the sofa and grabbed another manuscript. There was still another hour before he needed to get Yuri-Heika's lunch together. He wanted to have as many answers as he could before going back to the young man. Gunter stretched and yawned. Maybe spending more time with Yuri would be good for both of them.

Just as he went to sit down on the sofa, a rumble shook the castle. Terrified screams could be heard coming from outside. Gunter looked out his window. Smoke billowed from the infirmary. Yuri! He ran with almost inhuman speed, trying to get to there to see what was happening. Gwendal caught up with him just as he hit the doors to the outside of the castle.

"Gunter! What's going on?"

"I'm not sure. Yuri-Heika is in trouble. There was smoke coming out of the infirmary. I hope he wasn't attacked."  
"Well," Gwendal said as the came upon the smoking exterior. "It's either someone attacking him, or him attacking someone. Either way, he's in trouble."

Gunter looked at the General and shoved through the doors. The inside of the building was smoke free. The halls and doorways all stood open and empty. The silence freaked Gunter out. He ran down first one corridor then another to reach Yuri's room. Gwendal reached it first and flung the door open. Both men gasped. Yuri lay on the floor in a puddle of blood, emitting a blue smoke.

"Heika!" Gunter shouted as he ran over to the prone figure.

"Gunter, watch out! We don't know what's going on with him."

"Heika! Yuri, please, wake up."

Gunter gathered the king against his chest, not caring that the blue smoke was wrapping around both of them. Gwendal stayed back, trying to assess the situation and see if there was any harm being done by the smoke. Once he realized that Gunter was still fine, he ran off to find Gisela. The young woman was suspiciously absent from her post.

Yuri groaned and curled into a ball in Gunter's arms. Gunter rubbed his back, trying to calm the now shaking young man. The blue glow started to come alive, filling the smoke. It felt like it was trying to hug Gunter. Yuri came to himself suddenly and shot straight up. He gave Gunter an embarrassed look, then pushed out of his arms.

"Someone was here looking for you," Yuri half whispered.

"What did they want?" Gunter asked.

"They just wanted to find you. I couldn't let that happen. I... well, I just couldn't let them get you."

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"They kept saying that they had to get to you. There was something that they had to get from you. Something... They set the building on fire and took off. I held back the fire as long as I could so Gisela could get everyone else out. I don't even know if she made it."

"There's nobody in here, so you did well, Heika."

"Please, Gunter, can't you call me Yuri. Please. I think if you keep calling me Heika, I can't get as close to you as I would like."

Gunter had to hide his surprise. "I think we are pretty close, Heika. Yuri."

"That's not what I mean." Yuri pushed himself into a sitting position, noticing with only a little embarrassment that he was sitting in Gunter's lap. He took a deep breath and turned to look at Gunter. Their faces were just a few inches from each other. "I keep feeling like I almost lose you. I can't let that happen. I'm so sorry Gunter, if this is not something you want, but I have to try."

With that, Yuri leaned over and kissed Gunter softly on the lips. Gunter sat, frozen with the shock of feeling those lips on his own. He felt Yuri begin to pull back, but he couldn't let that happen. Not just yet. He slid one arm around the younger man and raised his other hand to cup the back of Yuri's neck. Gunter smiled as he pulled Yuri's lips back to his own. Ordinarily, he would be afraid of letting this happen, of scaring Yuri off, but Yuri started it. Gunter could feel a slight tingle running through all of his limbs. Kissing Yuri was like tapping into an electrical current.

His fingers slid up to move through Yuri's hair and Gunter pulled back in shame. Yuri started to protest, but Gunter showed him his hand. Blood coated his skin so it looked like he was wearing a red glove. Yuri reached back, surprised that he forgot about his head wound. He sheepishly pushed himself out of Gunter's lap and stood on wobbly legs.

"I-I'm sorry, Gunter. I shouldn't have done that. I hope this hasn't ruined anything."

Gunter leaped up as Yuri started backing away. "Yuri, don't go. Please. I could have stopped you, but I didn't. If anyone should feel shame, it's me. Can I tell you a secret though?" Gunter's heart pounded as Yuri looked at him questioningly, the younger man clearly ashamed of himself. "I thoroughly enjoyed that. I care about you a lot. Maybe when we get what's been going on straightened out, we can figure out what to do about us. Until then, knowing that you return even a fraction of my feelings is more than I ever thought possible. Come here and let me check your head."

Yuri walked back over to Gunter and sat down in the chair he provided. He could feel the start of Gunter's maryoku as it sent warm shivers out to the ends of his fingers and toes. Gisela walked in at that moment, a look of relief washing across her face at seeing both her father and her king safe. She moved over to them and reached out her hands to help heal Yuri's head. Once that was all taken care of, Yuri knew he had to climb back up onto the bed and get strapped down again. He wasn't going to risk hurting one of the nurses, or anyone else for that matter.

Gunter was the one to secure him yet again. This time, Gunter let his fingers linger on the palms and wrists of each of Yuri's hands as he tied the younger man to the bed. He bent and kissed him on the lips, smiling gently at Yuri before heading out the door, with a promise that he would return with dinner.

o.O.o

Gwendal had wanted to meet with Gunter after he finished up at the infirmary. Gunter made sure he would have time to bring Yuri dinner, then made his way to the General's office. There was a lightness in his steps, even though they still had not figured out what was going on. Yuri was showing interest in him! It was more than he could even dream. Gunter had thought it would take years, if it happened at all, for Yuri's interest in him to be sparked again. He flung open the door to Gwenal's office with a smile.

The smile died on his lips and he moved quickly over to his friend. Gwendal looked almost as bad as he did the night before a big battle. His hair was coming untied, his eye was twitching, and there was a set to his eyes that Gunter hadn't seen in years.

"What is it, Gwen? Have you heard anything from your associates?"

Gwendal reached down to pick something up off the floor. "About a days ride south of here, there was a temple attacked," he placed a dirt covered object on the table. "The priest who brought this died just a few minutes ago. This is one of the things these people are after."

It looked like a simple clay pot; half of it was missing. Gunter reached for it and was zapped as he tried to touch it. He yelped and yanked his hand back. Gwendal sighed before reaching to brush the dirt off of the outside of the pot. From where he stood, Gunter could see that there was writing on the upper half and paintings on the lower half. Something about it looked familiar.

"I sure hope you know what they are after, Gunter. I can't imagine what a dirty little clay pot could do."

"I don't know. I feel like I've seen this writing before, and these pictures." Gunter rubbed his upper lip. "There's something not right about them. Gwen, I'll have to look into it. Let me check the library and see what I can come up with. I'm not sure why it won't let me touch it, but that may help figure everything out."

Gwendal nodded. "Please hurry and let me know what you find. I have a feeling that if we can figure out what the pot it, then we'll be able to explain who's attacking you and why."

Gunter ran a weary hand over his face as he reached over for a piece of parchment and a pen. He copied down the runes and pictures as best he could. The wearing and dirt on the pot made it difficult to distinguish some of them, but he was happy with how much he could get. He tucked the parchment into a pocket inside his robes and stood.

"Gwendal, my friend. I will be taking dinner to Yu... ahem, Heika. When he's done, I will send for whatever books I can think of to help me translate this and then stay with Heika for the night."

Gwendal almost protested, but saw a light in his friend's eyes that hadn't been there earlier. Something must have happened with Heika for Gunter to look so hopeful. There was also a slight blush that had flashed across Gunter's face upon realizing that he almost used his king's given name. Gwendal raised an eyebrow at the silver haired man, but hid a smile. He gave a nod when Gunter took his leave. Things needed to get taken care of so his friend could finally be happy.

o.O.o

Gisela was having a quiet conversation with Yuri when Gunter walked in with a tray of food. He had instructed the cooks to make Yuri's favorite for dinner: Curry. His daughter smiled over at him and after patting Yuri's cheek, took her leave from the room and closed the door behind her. Gunter set the tray down on the nightstand and started to free Yuri from the restraints. Yuri sat up and rubbed his wrists.

"Thanks for bringing me dinner. You really didn't have to."

"Oh, Heika. I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to make sure you ate well and are as comfortable as possible."

Yuri blushed and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "About earlier, I... uh, well I understand if that's not what you were expecting. I shouldn't have done that."

"It really wasn't what I was expecting." Yuri's face dropped. "But! That doesn't mean it was unwanted." Gunter ran his fingers through his hair, a sure sign that he too was nervous. "Yuri, I have never found anybody to," Gunter took a deep breath before forging on, "to love. Not like this. I didn't think it was possible to have your affections. Before all this started, you had been rather odd. No offense."

Yuri started picking at his plate of rice and curry. "It started several months ago. No, I think it really started a long time ago, but I only noticed several months ago. You were talking about all the great things that one of my predecessors had done. I was taking notes to be able to maybe use some of his ideas in the way that I rule. You had leaned over me and your hair brushed across my face. I remember thinking that your hair smelled wonderful and that I could get used to your hair draping over me like that forever. It's kinda cheesy, but it freaked me out. Since then, it's taken everything I have to not slap your left cheek."

Gunter gasped. It was more of a revelation than he thought. The pair sat in silence for quite some time while they ate their curry. Well, Gunter ate and Yuri still just picked at it, nibbling only a couple of forkfuls. After his confession, he wouldn't look at Gunter at all. Gunter finally stacked their dishes on the tray and sent the tray off with an orderly, making sure to give him a list of books he needed. He sat down on the bed next to Yuri and grabbed his chin. The younger man looked at Gunter almost apologetically. Gunter leaned in and kissed his nose and pressed his forehead against Yuri's.

"Yuri, I've been alive many years. More years, really, than I care to admit. Never have I felt for anybody the way I feel for you. I told you earlier that I care about you a lot. Well, to be honest that isn't the whole truth. I love you."

It was Yuri's turn to gasp. When he looked into the older man's eyes, he saw the truth in them. Gunter really did love him. He decided to make a bold move and pushed up against Gunter, knocking him on his back on the bed. Yuri straddled Gunter's hips and leaned down to kiss him. He could feel Gunter's heart pounding against his own, which was thundering out of control. Gunter hugged Yuri tight against him, returning the kiss with the same passion. He started to slip his hands under Yuri's shirt when they heard an embarrassed throat clearing.

"Your Majesty, Excellency, I-I apologize for interrupting, but here are the books you requested, Gunter-sama."

Yuri climbed off of Gunter, and the adjutant moved over to the orderly. "Thank you for bringing these. I think you can go home for the night. I will be staying with Heika."

The orderly backed out of the room, clearly horrified to have interrupted and witnessed whatever was going on in the room. Yuri sat down at the table with Gunter, curious about the books. Gunter reached into his pocket and grabbed out the parchment. He spread out the pages. Yuri scooted his chair right next to Gunter to where his left leg was touching Gunter's right. Gunter smiled and placed a hand on Yuri's leg.

"There was a clay pot brought to Gwendal earlier. It had these runes and pictures on it. I feel that I should know what they mean. It may actually shed some light on who is behind the attacks."

Yuri pulled over a couple of books and one of the pieces of parchment. The awkwardness that had filled the room seemed to have evaporated. The two men poured over the books and over the next hour found nothing useful. Yuri let out a big yawn and rubbed his eyes. Soon after, he laid his head down on the table and fell asleep in moments. Gunter rubbed his back with one hand while still going over the next book with his other hand. He never thought about securing Yuri in his sleep.

It didn't take long before a greenish blue glow started shining from Yuri's skin. He jumped up from the table, knocking his chair to the ground. Gunter stood up and threw a shield around the younger man. Yuri's eyes emitted a sickly yellow light. He slammed against the shield and let out a howl. Gunter knew he wouldn't be able to hold the king forever. He hollered for anyone to help, praying to Shino that there was still someone in the building. Gisela ran into the room as Yuri broke through the barrier and flung himself at Gunter.

"Heika!" she screamed. "Please, Heika. Stop!"

Gisela flung herself onto Yuri's back, trying to pry his hands from her father's throat. Gunter's face remained calm through the ordeal, knowing that he was most likely going to die. Gwendal burst through the doors, and with a shout, threw up a barrier that knocked Yuri flat on his back and released his hands from Gunter.

**So here's the end of chapter four. What did you think? Gunter's going to have his work cut out for him trying to convince Yuri that he doesn't blame him for the attack. Yuri blames himself for so many things, and this is just another one added to the mix. Next chapter, we hear from Wolfram finally. He's been awfully silent. Thank you for reading and for the reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5

**And the story continues. Thanks to all who are still along for the ride. As always, I don't own the characters, just what I do to them!**

Gwendal did his best to keep Yuri pinned while Gisela made sure her father was going to be okay. After a thorough going over, and embarrassment from the adjutant that he was being examined, Gisela decided that he would only have some nasty bruises on his throat, but no permanent damage. Gwendal grunted with the effort of keeping the barrier up on their king. Gunter wanted to go to Yuri, but was held back by Gisela. Almost as quickly as it had begun, the glow around Yuri faded and he shook his head. Gwendal released the barrier.

"Heika, are you okay?"

Yuri nodded and sat up. "I had the strangest dream." He looked over at Gunter, who tried to pull up the collar on his shirt to hide the bruises on his throat, but not fast enough. "No, please tell me I didn't do that." When no one answered, Yuri pushed himself into a standing position and backed toward the door. "I can't keep doing this. Last night it was a nurse, tonight it was the man I lo-" Yuri gave a resigned look at the others in the room. "The man I love. I'm going to try to take care of this."

Before anyone could react, and honestly they were shocked at the confession, Yuri had bolted out the door. He headed straight for the stables and slammed into Conrad, who was brushing down his own horse. His godfather was surprised at the intrusion, but was able to recover enough to keep them from falling down. He could see that Yuri was very upset and in fact had been crying, was still crying.

"Yuri, what is going on?"

"I did it again, Conrad. I've hurt another person. This time it was... it was Gunter. I didn't think I'd be able to hurt him because I love him, but he's got bruises on his neck. Bruises that I gave him. I'm leaving the castle, Conrad. I can't keep doing this. Please don't try to stop me."

Conrad could hear people running to the stables and tried to stall Yuri as much as possible. "Yuri, don't you think you're being a little rash about the whole thing. Gunter knows that you would never hurt him on purpose. You are not yourself. Just stick around. We can get this figured out."

Gunter burst into the stables. "Heika! Yuri, please don't go. You were not yourself. It is not your fault!"

"Gunter, I'm so sorry. I've made a mess of things. I-" Yuri suddenly sucked in a deep breath as his legs buckled. Conrad caught him as he hit the floor. He held the younger man against his chest and started to carry him back to the infirmary with Gunter and Gwendal close behind. When they had finally set him back on his bed and strapped him down, Gisela ran a check on him. Worry washed across her face.

"He's barely breathing and his heart beat is slow and sluggish. I don't know what's going on, but we have to fix whatever is going on with him soon. If he gets any worse, he won't make it."

She looked over at the trio behind her. Gwendal and Conrad had the same set to their jaw, while Gunter had a determined look on his face. He moved over to the table with the books. The brothers exchanged a glance and left the room quietly. There would be no stopping Gunter once he was set on a mission.

o.O.o

It was the early hours of the morning two days later that saw an unlikely pair appear in Shino's Temple. Ulrike was standing by with towels for both of the young men as they emerged from the fountain in the middle of the shrine. The two young men looked at each other, then at Ulrike for some sort of explanation. The other temple maidens were very worried about something and Ulrike herself was uncharacteristically silent. The golden-haired one spoke first.

"Ulrike, I have a feeling something is going on here. We just got back from our honeymoon trip on earth and it seems like there is some sort of unrest."

Geika spoke over his glasses. "Has something happened to Yuri? I feel like that is what's troubling the land."

"Y-yes, your highnesses. There, uh, well come into my chambers and we will discuss what's been happening while you've been away."

She led Wolfram and Murata away from the fountain and inside the temple to her chambers. On one side there was a sitting room and two of the temple maidens ran off to get tea and snacks for the guests. Ulrike motioned for the two young men to sit down on the couch while she pulled up a chair for herself.

"King Yuri was poisoned a few days ago while protecting Gunter-sama. They determined that it was shadow poison and thought they had removed it all; it had really only been a small amount. Unfortunately, the effects of the poison seem to have lingered. Yuri has already attacked a nurse, and not very long ago he attacked Gunter-sama. That is the last I have heard."

Murata gasped at the mention of shadow poison. "Who would have used shadow poison against Yuri?"

"It apparently was not an attack on Yuri, but on Gunter-sama. They are unsure of why or who is doing the attacks, but the poison that injured Heika was not the first attack. His highness had been attacked a few days before that by an unknown assailant, getting stabbed in the process."

"How bad is this shadow poison?" asked Wolfram. "I have never even heard of it."

"If enough of it enters the body, or is not completely removed, then the person over the span of a few short weeks slowly withers away and eventually dies. It is extremely hard to make, and only a handful of people have enough maryoku to make it if they even knew how. You and your brother could do it, as could I, Yuri, and Gunter. There may be others that I do not know about."

Wolfram stood abruptly and motioned for his new husband to follow him. "We need to get back to the castle and see what it is we can do to help."

"Please be careful. We still don't know who is coming after Gunter-sama." Ulrike touched both men on the arm. "Also, Yuri is not what you remember. It's only been a couple of weeks since you've seen him last, but be prepared."

"What do you mean?" Wolfram asked. Ulrike would say nothing more, and looked down at the floor, shaking her head before leaving the room. Murata and Wolfram ran for the horses.

o.O.o

The newly weds burst into the infirmary after dropping their horses off with the stable hands. Gisela gasped at the interruption, but was relieved to see who had arrived. She knew who they would be wanting to see.

"Welcome home, Geika, Your Highness. I know you would like to see Yuri." She swallowed back a lump in her throat. "Uh, follow me."

They walked down the long hallway to the room at the end where Yuri was being kept. The young men had been bracing themselves after the explanation given by Ulrike, but they were not prepared for the sight that greeted them. Yuri lay on the bed, his hands and ankles strapped down by leather cuffs. His face and really any exposed skin had a sickly green glow to it. As they neared the bed, they noticed that he was barely breathing.

"Hey, Wimp! What are you doing, worrying all of us?"

Murata placed a hand on his arm. "Wolfie, there's no need to yell. He most likely can't hear you. Gisela have you figured out if there was any poison left? There should have been a black mark..."

"No, Geika. I extracted any black marks that I found. It took some time, but I thought I had gotten all of it. I've even gone over him the last couple of days and still found nothing."

"I see. Well, we'll have to get to the library to see what we can find."

"If I may, the library will probably be of no use. Papa has taken all of the texts he thought would be useful and brought them here." Gisela motioned to the large table in the corner, complete with a lamp and chairs. "He has been spending most of his time here, both awake and asleep. I fear that my father is not taking care of himself. He... he is just not the same since Yuri attacked him. Not that he is harboring any anger toward Heika, it's just that he knows how devastated Heika was to attack one of his own people. And not just once, but twice. He's trying to find some answers and possibly a cure. It's just... he hasn't slept in several days. I don't know how much longer he can go on. I'm so glad to see you guys here."

Gisela broke down at that point. She was supposed to be a great healer. There hadn't been a time she could remember where there was something she could not do, but it all of her efforts weren't working. Murata pulled her into a hug. She sobbed into his shoulder as he rubbed her back. Gunter walked in on that scene and rushed over to the little group. His daughter usually never cried about anything. Seeing her in that state made him worry that something had happened to Yuri.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong."

"She hides her stress and her pain very well, Gunter-sama," Murata spoke first.

"There's only so much a person can do." Wolfram for some reason felt the need to defend the young woman.

"I know and I hope, honey, that you know I love you. You are doing the best you can."

Gisela pushed away from Murata and hugged her father. "I know, Papa, but I can't help feeling there should be more for me to do."

"Well, I think I've almost got that inscription decoded, and with Geika and Wolfram back, we should be able to figure out what's going on that much faster. You go get some rest. We'll keep an eye on Heika while we go over my notes."

She nodded and left the room. Wolfram and Murata followed Gunter over to the table. Books and papers were strewn across the surface in seemingly no order. Gunter motioned for them to sit down while he gathered the more important papers. When he finally turned to face the younger men and they finally got a good look at his face, both of them had to fight back a gasp. They had never seen Gunter looking so haggard and worn. His eyes were sunken, his hair hung listlessly. Wolfram started to speak up, but Murata stopped him with a hand on his sleeve.

"So Gunter, what have you figured out so far?" Murata asked, peering over his glasses.

"Well, if you look here, this seems to be some sort of formula. Not the one I remember for the shadow poison, but something very similar." He motioned to the broken pot on the table. "There also seems to be some sort of protection on it that keeps me from touching it. I have to have one of the nurses come in to shift it if I need to look at a different side. I cannot even move it with a paper or rag."  
Murata reached a hand out. Wolfram place a worried hand on his shoulder. The dark haired man smiled at him. "Don't worry, my dear. If it is what I think, then I am perfectly fine. No harm will come to me."  
He gingerly touched a finger to the pot. Upon realizing that he wouldn't be zapped like Gunter had been, he picked the pot up and examined it. Murata could feel a power of some sort thrumming through the very grains of the clay. It sparked a memory from long ago. He gasped and yanked his hand back. Gunter and Wolfram started to panic.

"No, no, it didn't hurt me. I remember something." Murata stood and began to pace. "Many lifetimes ago, there was a powerful magician. He had the strongest magic in the country. He spent years on the run from those who would capture him and abuse his power. During those years he came up with a very powerful spell. He thought it would only put people into a coma. However, when he did finally come out of hiding and used it, he realized just what he had done. It was the shadow poison. It has the ability to make people suffer for months, if it doesn't outright kill them first. When he saw what effect the poison had on people, he had his trusted adviser, also a powerful magician, extract all of his maryoku and seal it into twenty clay pots made from houseki. These pots, to be exact." Murata ran a finger over the inscription gingerly.

"It was you, wasn't it. The adviser?" Wolfram asked. "What happens if the pots break?"

"Then the maryoku is released into the nearest mazoku. It was the only way I knew to seal his power. He was afraid of what else he might come up with, or what he might be forced to do. He begged me to take it away. I hid the pots myself, hoping that no one would ever find them again."

Murata dropped into one of the chairs. Wolfram put an arm around his husband's shoulder and rested his head on top of Murata's. Gunter ran his hands through his hair in agitation. Somewhere out there were nineteen other pots and who knew how many others had been found. The older mazoku sat down next to the pair and pulled over a pen and paper.

"Alright, Geika. I need you to tell me the location of as many of those pots as you can."

"Gunter, that was a long time ago. I can't guarantee they'll still be in the same spot."

"Please, this is the first breakthrough we've had about anything that's been happening." Gunter flashed the Great Sage a semi-hopeful look. "Is there any sort of way to counteract the poison?"

"It was used to rarely, only twice really, and now a third time. I've not had much of a chance to study it. I'll do an examination of him myself, then check to see what Gisela has found out and compare notes."

Wolfram stood after Murata. "I'll go find my brothers to see what they need help with." He leaned in to kiss his new husband. Gunter turned away with tears in his eyes. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for them, but it made him ache to hold Yuri even more. Murata watched Wolfram walk from the room, then moved over to Yuri's bedside.

"Oh, Shibuya, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Gunter could hear Murata mutter under his breath.

"Has he always been prone to trouble?" Gunter asked from the other side of the bed.

Murata nodded with a small smile. "I don't remember a time that he wasn't getting into some sort of trouble. The only time he truly couldn't be stopped was when he played baseball. If he hadn't been destined for this world, I know he would have been able to play in the major leagues."

"M-major leagues?" Gunter could see the green glow fading from Yuri's skin, but he wasn't sure what Murata was doing.

The younger man took in a shaky breath as a sweat broke out on his brow. "It's like having an elite group of soldiers. They're they best at what they do. People pay money to watch them play the game." Murata stumbled back. "That vase, Gunter. Dump it out and bring it here."

Gunter ran over to the vase in question, flung the contents on the floor, and rushed back. The Great Sage's eyes were starting to glow the same sickly green that had been covering Yuri. The younger man held his hands out and chanted some words. The glow seemed to seep out of Murata and into the vase. He chanted one last round of words before waving a hand over the opening. The top of the vase seemed to stitch itself closed. Murata felt around for a chair, sitting down heavily and gingerly clutching the vase to his chest.

"There," he said with a gasp. "That should take care of the last of the poison in Yuri. His maryoku seems to have been leached, so he'll have to take it easy for a while. If he even wakes up."

"If... What do you mean?"  
"Well, the last of the shadow poison was eating away at his maryoku. There's not much left. I'm not sure if he'll ever be able to summon the Maou again."

Gunter glance down sadly at Yuri. "I just want him to come back to me. I'm not sure what I'll do if he doesn't wake up."

"Talk to him, Gunter. He has always liked the sound of your voice. If nothing else, he'll come back to hear your voice."

Murata stood with the vase and walked from the room to find Gisela. Gunter could hear him bark for one of the orderlies to find Anissina as well. At the mention of her name, the adjutant shuddered. He hoped that his involvement with Yuri would exempt him from any experiment that she could cook up to test the poison. He stood with his back to the door and did not notice with Conrad walked in. The soldier walked up to his mentor, placing a hand on his back.

"How're you holding up?"

"Oh Conrad, you know me. I'm always about to fall apart where the king is involved. I've never been able to keep secret my feelings for him."

"You've been an open book to everyone but him, it seems."

"Until it was too late," Gunter huffed bitterly. "A few brief kisses and he may never wake up. Conrad, what will I do without him?"

Conrad pulled his mentor into a hug, saying nothing. He felt almost the same way as Gunter. He would not know what to do with himself if Yuri never woke up. His whole live had been devoted to the protection of the king for the last twenty-two years. In recent years, Yuri had been doing better about taking care of himself. Gunter sobbed against the younger man's chest, clinging onto him for dear life. It had been a trying couple of weeks and he couldn't hold it together any longer. When he was able to collect himself a little bit, he pulled back.

"Thank you, Conrad for letting me get that out. I think I'm actually hungry now. Would you mind sending someone for a tray of food?"

Conrad nodded and moved toward the door. He watched his mentor sit in a chair next to Yuri's bed. Gunter pulled his hair around and started braiding it. Conrad smiled. Gunter only braided his hair when he was on the verge of figuring something out. It seemed to soothe the older man. Conrad sent one of the orderlies to the kitchens, and by the time he returned to the room, Gunter was gone. The soldier moved over to the chair that Gunter had been sitting in and sat down himself. He would sit next to his godson and pray to the gods that the young man would wake up.

o.O.o

Gunter was coming out of his chambers with one of the scrolls he had been reading a few days ago. There was something in it that he wanted to show the Great Sage. Maybe the young man would be able to unravel what Gunter couldn't figure out, or at least that's what he hoped. He was so deep in thought that he never noticed the shadows coming up behind him. They knocked him unconscious and dragged him off before anyone would notice. His captors didn't see the parchment fall from his fingers and flutter silently to the floor.

**So another chapter done, a few more to go. Thanks to those who have continued along on this ride! Please review and I will see you in the next chapter. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow, starting chapter 6! As usual, I do not own these characters, just what I do to them. **

Yuri sat up in the bed, realizing after a few seconds that he was not strapped down. He panicked for a moment. Had he hurt anyone during the night? Why had no one noticed that he had not been secured? Gunter! He had attacked Gunter. The sight of the finger shaped bruises across the adjutant's throat haunted him and he dropped his face into his hands. Of all people, why did it have to be Gunter? The man wouldn't harbor any ill feelings for nearly killing him. He knew that Yuri was not himself. Still, Yuri thought, how could I have allowed myself to do that?

"Ah, Shibuya. You're awake."

"Murata!" Yuri's head shot up. "When did you get here? Where's Wolfram?"  
"We got here yesterday, and Wolfram is searching Gunter's room for any more clues as to his whereabouts."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Murata scratched his head, not really knowing how to break the news. "Gunter was kidnapped last night. There was a note left just to say that he had been taken, but there were no details, so nobody knows who took him, why, or even what they wanted. Conrad was able to figure out which direction they went, so he and Yozak took off after them."

Yuri struggled to turn and get off the bed. "I have to try to find him." His feet his the floor and his legs buckled under him. Murata barely made it in time to catch the king before he landed on his backside.

"You are going to need some time to recover. We don't know who it is that has him. Besides, there's not much you'll be able to do."

"Maybe not on my own, but with the Maoh powers, I'll find those jerks and get my Gunter back."

"Yuri, do you even feel the Maoh?"

"Sure, he's... what... Murata, he's not there. He's not there! What has happened?"  
"The shadow poison leached a lot of your maryoku. I was able to remove the last remnants that Gisela couldn't find, but I'm afraid you may not be able to summon the Maoh for a long time."

Murata directed them over to the chairs at the table. Yuri sat down on one, while Murata called for one of the orderlies to bring some food. He put a hand on Yuri's back, heaving a sad sigh. Yuri picked up some of the papers that Gunter had been going through.

"Is there anything that we do know?"

"Whoever took Gunter is after maryoku that has been sealed away for a very long time. My only guess is that they need him to complete the ritual for their new vessel to absorb the last of that maryoku."  
Yuri gave him a confused look. "What sealed maryoku?"  
"Ah, yes, you were out when I told that story." Murata gave Yuri a brief explanation of what happened long ago. "What they want to do with it, we still don't know. This scroll was found outside of Gunter's rooms after he was discovered missing. I don't know what he wanted with it, but I plan to figure that out."

Breakfast arrived at that point, and the two young men ate in silence. Wolfram came in after a while and put his arms around Murata who leaned into the hug. Yuri choked down the bite in his mouth, then set his fork down. Seeing how happy the two of them were just made him miss Gunter that much more.

"I think I'll go take a nap now."

"But Shibuya, you haven't eaten much."  
"Yuri, you need food."  
"I, I just don't have an appetite anymore. I've eaten enough."

The couple watched as their king stumbled to the hospital bed, then collapsed on top of it. Murata unrolled the scroll from Gunter and started going through the information it contained yet again. Both he and Wolfram pretended they didn't hear the sobs coming from across the room.

o.O.o

Gunter woke up in a cold, dark, dank place. The storybook cliché of prison standards would have been amusing if he wasn't so terrified. He sat up to take stock of his situation. There was no light coming into his cell except for a tiny sliver from underneath the door. Gunter saw a wooden cot bolted to the far wall and from what he could tell, a hole in the floor in which to do business. Someone had dressed him in breeches and a loose shirt. He felt around his body: no broken bones and nothing seemed to be sprained, though there did seem to be a sore ring of skin around each wrist. A breeze blew across his neck and Gunter gasped in horror. He slowly reached a hand up and toward the back of his head. His hair had been chopped off. The adjutant didn't even bother to move to the cot. He just curled up on the floor and cried.

o.O.o

Conrad slapped his leg in frustration as he and Yozak rode away from the last village. There had been a small traveling circus passing through, but no one had seen anyone remotely looking like Gunter come through in the last day. It was getting late, so the pair decided to make camp and continue the search in the morning. The horses needed a rest after being pushed to their limits that day. They picked a spot between a copse of trees and a swiftly moving stream. They tied up the horses, made camp, and started dinner within minutes.

Yozak looked at his Captain. "Sir, we've lost the trail."

Conrad sighed. "What happened to "Conrad"? I know we've lost the trail, but we have to keep trying. Yuri is going to be devastated if anything happens to Gunter."

"Still, Conrad, the only thing we can do is track down this circus and see if they know anything. They seem to be the only thing that remains the same in each village."  
"I suppose you're right. We'll catch up to them and question them in the morning."

Yozak nodded and tried to hide a yawn behind his hand. "We'll ride our hearts out tomorrow, but for now, I'm hungry and tired. Let's eat!"

After eating in companionable silence, both men retired to their sleeping bags. Yozak watched as Conrad rubbed a weary hand over his face. He slipped out from his own sleeping bag and dragged it over to where Conrad lay. The soldier looked at his spy in curiosity. Yozak merely shrugged with a smirk. He threw his bag down right next to Conrad, climbed inside, and draped an arm over his friend. Conrad stiffened for a moment, then relaxed against the weight of his arm. Yozak pressed a kiss to Conrad's neck before pulling the other man tighter against his chest. He could hear Conrad's breath catch, but they were both too tired to make anything more of the situation. They fell asleep almost instantly.

In the morning, they packed up camp in record time, neither one mentioning what happened the night before. Or what didn't happen. Though to say it hadn't effected either one of them would be a lie. Conrad let his fingers slide across Yozak's hand as he helped the spy load the saddle bags. Yozak leaned against Conrad when he placed the sleeping bags on the back of the saddle. As soon as everything was packed up, though, the two men rode as fast as they could to find the circus.

It took them three hours to catch up. The leader didn't seem too happy that they were being stopped, but upon finding out what was going on, he was all too eager to help. He was a huge admirer of Gunter. Conrad gave a brief description of the men that had taken Gunter and waited as the leader of the circus questioned his people to see if anyone knew something. Finally, one young boy spoke up.

"There were some weird men hiding out the other night. I've always wanted to be a spy," he blushed and smiled at Yozak, "so I try to sneak around as much as I can to learn secrets. They were in a house in the last village we were at and talked about going to a castle on the edge of Shin Makoku. There was a guy with them that wasn't dressed like they were, but he didn't really look like Gunter-sama. He had short, gray hair and was filthy. They had manacles on him, but I think they also had some sort of spell on him. He moved around like a zombie."  
Conrad and Yozak looked at each other. "Thank you for that. Did they say which castle."

"I think they said the Silver Brook castle."

"You have been very helpful. On behalf of King Yuri, thank you for your help."

Yozak reached down and ruffled the kid's hair. "You sure have. And kiddo, if you decide that you really do want to be a spy, look me up in a few years at Blood Pledge Castle. I'll help you out."

The boy's mouth dropped open in shock and he nodded his head vigorously. Conrad and Yozak thanked the circus leader before turning and riding out for the castle the boy mentioned. They still didn't know what the men wanted with the chief adjutant, but they had a better lead on his whereabouts than they did earlier that morning. Conrad had them stop in the next village so he could send a raven with the news they found. He hoped that Gwendal would be able to move an army fast enough to meet them at that castle in time to save Gunter.

o.O.o

The next day, Yuri convinced Gisela to let him move back into his chambers in the castle. He was able to walk around on his own and feed himself, so other than taking it easy, there was no real need for him to stay in the infirmary. He wandered through the gardens and stopped at one statue, sparking a history lesson from Gunter.

_"This is the statue of King Arland the First. He was responsible for starting these gardens. His thought was that no matter what horrible things lay outside the castle walls, there would still be a spot of beauty to relax in."_

Yuri sank down and sat on the base of the statue staring at the ground. He felt worthless. There was no way for him to help find Gunter. They didn't even know where he had been taken. Yuri tried to summon the Maoh, but nothing happened. It was like the Maoh presence was gone. It had been a part of him for so long that he didn't know what to do, or how to even function without that little voice nagging in the back of his head.

"Heika, you seem to be feeling better."

Yuri jumped. "Oh! Anissina, how are you?"  
The red head had dark circles under her eyes. "I've been working on figuring out the poison. There seems to be a slight difference between the one that Gunter described and the one that was let loose in his room. It's like someone knew the basics, but didn't know the exact formula to make the poison. Those are the most dangerous because you sometimes never know change has been made."

"But you know what's been done?"  
"Not exactly, but we do know how to counter it now." She pulled a small device out of her pocket. It was shaped like a remote control with three buttons on it. "If you push this button here, it shoots a beam of maryoku. This button in the middle releases a non-toxic gas that works with the maryoku to counteract the poison. This last one absorbs maryoku from whomever you point it at."

Yuri was impressed, and a little afraid. "Has this been tested?"

"It certainly has," she said with a menacing chuckle. "Gwendal was more than happy to make sure the last button works." Yuri shuddered. "Oh, Heika, I apologize. Let's get you inside and find some lunch. I get carried away with my work sometimes."

Yuri nodded and followed the inventor inside the castle. They made their way to the dining hall where the sounds of lunch could be heard. It seemed that the royal family had gathered together to discuss something interesting. Yuri watched as Gwendal eyed Anissina angrily, before dropping his head and shoving in a mouthful of rice and vegetables. Lady Celi squealed and ran toward Yuri the second she saw him walk in, squeezing him in a hug that nearly lifted him off the floor.

"Heika! We've missed your presence at the dinner table these last couple of weeks. It has not been the same without you."

"Th-thank you. I have missed you all as well. I-I am sorry about what's happened."

"No need to apologize, Heika," Gwendal called from the table. "Mother, release the king so he can eat. He's looking a bit thin."

"Oh, yes, I'm sorry Heika. Here." She let go and motioned to the table. Yuri blushed and sat down in the empty chair next to Gwendal, the chair usually reserved for Gunter. Gwendal reached out and patted Yuri on the arm sympathetically.

Yuri looked around the table and felt a bit sad at the missing members of the group. Gunter was out there, who knew were, with Conrad and Yozak chasing along behind. The servers brought out his food then, and were a bit put off at the king changing from his usual seat. One look from Gwendal stopped any sideways glances or unusual actions from the servers. Once the food had been set out, Yuri attacked it with a vengeance, shoveling in mouthfuls of rice, vegetables, and a meat resembling chicken. The other occupants of the table had to fight to keep their jaws from hitting the table.

"Hey, Gwendal, there must be some stuff that I need to catch up on? I'll head to our offices after this to start working, if that's okay."  
"You don't have to just yet. I mean, you are supposed to be taking it easy."

"I don't think reading and signing papers is really all that hard."

Much to the shock of everyone in the room, Yuri cleaned his plate in just minutes. He pushed his chair back from the table, bowed, and moved toward the door. No one knew what to say. Yuri seemed weird. As he walked through the door he turned to Gwendal.

"I'll check in your office first, then head off to mine. You've always got a stack of papers for me to take care of."

They watched him leave, then looked at the general. He stared at the door, still not quite sure whether or not Yuri was in his right mind. He blushed when he realized everyone was staring at him. Gwendal raised his hands in defeat.

"I'm not sure what has come over him. Losing Gunter has taken it's toll on all of us, but for Yuri it is especially difficult."

"He loves Gunter, doesn't he?" asked Lady Celi softly. "He feels helpless, and is trying to keep his mind off of it. I know when I lost my husbands, I was distraught for a long time with each of them. Gwendal, why don't you go on ahead and keep an eye on him."

Gwendal nodded and followed after Yuri. He checked his office first. The younger man must have been on a flat run. It looked like he had already been there and left with the mountain of papers that had sat on the left side of Gwendal's desk. He made his way over to Yuri's office next. The king had made a wall across the front of his desk with the paperwork he had retrieved from Gwendal's office. The general couldn't see him behind the papers, but could hear some sniffling. He shut the door quietly behind him and walked over to the side of Yuri's desk.

"Heika, you really do not have to do this right now. I know you are stressed, as are we all, but these can wait a few days for you to rest."

Yuri looked up at Gwendal through tear filled eyes. "I can't just sit around with nothing to do. I'll go crazy from worry. This isn't that stressful. Please, I just need to do something to keep my mind occupied."

Gwendal pulled him into a hug. "You know he wouldn't want you to make yourself sick. Just... take it easy, okay. If you start getting overwhelmed, just go for a walk, or come get me." Yuri nodded against the larger man's chest. "I know you love him, Yuri. Believe me when I say that we are doing everything in our power to find him."

Before Yuri could respond, the door to his office slammed open. A courier ran into the room, waving a paper in the air. He tripped on the rug and stumbled up to Yuri's desk. It took him a minute to get his breath under control, while Yuri and Gwendal stared at him.

"Message. From Conrad. Thinks he knows where Gunter is."

Yuri yanked the note out of the young man's hands and dismissed him. He read the contents of the note twice before handing it off to Gwendal. Gwendal read through it and dropped his hands to his side. Yuri looked up at him expectantly.

"Well, what are we going to do?"

"_We_ aren't going to do anything._ I_ am going to gather some forces and ride for the border. Conrad said he would wait for backup to get there unless something happens."

"Gwendal, you are not leaving without me. I _am_ going there, if I have to go by myself. You know he would do anything in his power to rescue me."

The general took one look at Yuri and nodded. "Fine, but it's going to be a long hard ride. We will have to hurry. Who knows what they will do to Gunter in the time it takes for us to get there." Gwendal could have slapped himself for saying that. Yuri paled at his words. "Don't worry, Heika, we are going to rescue him."

Yuri nodded. "I'm going to go to my room and pack."

"Pack lightly, Heika, we are going to have to move fast."

Gwendal watched as Yuri squared his shoulders and nodded again. The younger man left the room, and Gwendal let out a sigh. He hoped beyond all belief that Gunter would still be alive when they arrived. Not only for his sake because he would miss his best friend, but for their king's sake as well.

**Now I think we're getting somewhere. Gwendal knows better than to argue with Yuri, he's known him long enough to just let him go as well. Thanks to everyone for reading and please review. I love to have input!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, here we go again. Thanks to those who've reviewed, and if you haven't, I hope you are enjoying the story. Gunter's rescue begins in this chapter. See you at the end!**

The castle was in chaos when word spread that Gunter had been located. It didn't matter that Conrad didn't know for sure, or what condition the adjutant would be in. Everyone was excited and there were people left and right volunteering to be a part of the group heading out to rescue him. Gwendal felt that his head would explode if they didn't leave soon. He was tired of having to tell people no thank you.

Gwendal looked around at the small group he had assembled. There were twenty of his best soldiers, Yuri, and himself. He hoped that this would be enough to get his friend back, but he couldn't be sure. Even so, taking more people than this would just slow them down. He watched Yuri walk down the hill from the castle to the stable yard where they were gathering. The young man looked so tired and thin. Gunter would rake him over the coals if he knew that Gwendal allowed their king to join in on the rescue. The soldiers also noticed their king walking toward them and came to attention. Yuri waved a hand dismissively and started strapping his gear onto his horse.

"Heika, here, let me help," one of the younger soldiers offered.

"It's okay, I've got it. I've been on enough trips to be able to pack my own stuff."

Gwendal came over and smiled at the soldier. "Just make sure you have your own things together. We can't afford to be missing the most essential items." The soldier bowed and moved back to his own horse and pack. "Heika, please know that these men are here to rescue Gunter, but that if you come into any danger at all, their primary goal is to keep you safe."

"Gwendal! We have to rescue Gunter. You know that is all I want. I'm coming along because, though I can't summon or even feel the Maoh presence, I can still help. I've got to help. Besides, what kind of demon king can I be if I can't even summon the Maoh form?"

"I know, Heika. Just... watch out, okay?"

"I'll be careful."

Gwendal nodded and turned back to his soldiers. "Gentlemen, we are going to ride fast. There's not a moment to lose. I've contacted two villages along the way for us to trade horses in. Though we do need speed, we cannot afford to lose our horses to exhaustion. Alright everyone, let's head out." The sound of thundering hooves echoed throughout the castle grounds as the group rode out the gates.

o.O.o

Silver Brook Castle was a small castle. It had belonged to one of the long gone Maoh's cousins and had been abandoned years ago, though it had been kept in better repair than Conrad thought. There were several groves of trees around the sides and back of the castle. An apple orchard lined the walkway at the front of the castle. Murder holes lined the upper part of the walls, while a thick, heavy oaken door blocked the front entrance.

Conrad and Yozak had scouted around the castle as much as they could. There were no secret entrances that they could find, but every castle had to have one. They would just have to keep searching. No guards were posted at the gate itself. Two patrols would leave the the castle gate on the hour, each going the opposite way around the castle before meeting back up at the front. The patrol itself took about thirty minutes, so there was a thirty minute break before the next patrol came out.

It had been two days since they sent word to Gwendal about Gunter's location. They had no real way of knowing if Gwendal had received the message or when he would arrive with backup, so they kept watch for any changes in the actions of the castle. The masked men made their appearances in the early morning and late at night. There seemed to be anywhere from five to ten of them, though that was just what Conrad and Yozak had seen, and who knew how many more there were.

Conrad watched as the next patrol went out. He and Yozak had found a perfect hiding spot. There was an outcropping of rocks with a small hole underneath, enough to fit two grown men. The trees around these rocks were particularly thick and there were shrubbery enough to hide them. The long time soldier sat down next to the rocks and brought his sword out to be sharpened. He was alone at the moment, since Yozak had decided to work on some spying. He was visiting the local village's bar as a barmaid that was traveling the world. Conrad had helped him button the back of his dress, running his fingers up the spy's spine and giving him goosebumps. Yozak had grinned at him before he left and gave a thumbs up.

There was a rustling off to Conrad's left and the soldier crouched with his sword at the ready. Yozak popped through, smiling and waving. Conrad sighed and dropped the sword back in it's scabbard.

"I am glad you're back."

"Well, not everyone can handle my greatness," Yozak said with a twirl. He sat down next to Conrad. "There seems to be rumors of the group that we've been watching. They're apparently holding a great sorcerer within the castle walls. Some say if you listen carefully, you can hear his screams as he is tortured."

Conrad bit his lip, rubbing a weary hand over his face. Yozak slipped an arm around his best friend's shoulders. They had been through many battles together, and torture had never been unusual, but it was hard to hear about it happening to someone you knew personally and cared a great deal about. Conrad leaned into the spy.

"How long can he survive, Yozak?"

"He's a very strong person. Gunter had been through and survived worse. Much worse, I think, than either of us know."

"I know, but he doesn't even know if he'll ever be found. I don't want him to think that we've given up on him. I know that feeling and it's not pleasant."

"Well, to cheer you up: there was a message from Gwendal. They are riding hot and heavy and should be here by nightfall. He mentioned something about a certain king being with them as well."

"What?!" Conrad wanted to yell, but kept his voice down. "What the hell is he thinking?"

"I'm guessing he couldn't stop the kiddo. You know he has a mind of his own. Besides, remember that Gunter had been talking about leaving and you freaked out because Yuri would chase after him? Well, this isn't any different."

"True, but still. I can't believe that Gwendal couldn't think of some way to keep him there, like sedate him?"

Yozak laughed. "That wouldn't work. Yuri would find a way out of it."

"I know," Conrad sighed. "Well, there's nothing more we can do but watch and wait for Gwendal and Yuri to arrive."

Yozak kissed the top of Conrad's head then pulled away. He pulled out his sword and started sharpening it. Conrad watched him for a second before getting out his own sword back out. There were a few hours left until nightfall, and they would have to be on the lookout to find the group that was coming to the rescue.

o.O.o

Gunter woke up with a gasp as cold water was dumped on him. He was laying splayed on a table, each of his limbs tied to a corner of the table. His joints ached from being kept in such an awkward position for so long a period. Gunter couldn't be sure how much time had passed, though. The room he was in was left in darkness until his captors came in with torches to poke and prod him more. Aside from tying him down, they hadn't actually hurt him. They were more interested in his maryoku and what sort of spells he could do. On occasion, they brought houseki crystals to lay on different parts of his body to see their effect. Gunter would sometimes vomit from his terrible reaction to the crystals, and at those times, he would be let up from his bonds to massage his aching limbs and clean himself up.

He tried to listen to their voices. From what he could tell, there were five different ones that talked to him, but there were a couple more that wielded the crystals. One other seemed very interested in the reactions Gunter had to the clay pots. In one corner of the room, there was a small stack of those pots. He tried to give them information without giving them too much. The questions they were asking were not going to cripple the country's defenses, so Gunter cooperated more than he thought he would.

After being startled awake, Gunter waited to see what they would do this time. He counted to a hundred before he could sense movement from somewhere near his feet. That person unshackled his ankles, then moved to unfasten the straps around his hands. He sat up gingerly, rubbing his shoulders and elbows to try to remove some of the ache. A hand grasped him around the upper arm and he was dragged off the table he was on and over to a smaller table with a chair next to it. The hand shoved him down into the chair and pointed to the plate on the table. After several days of bread and water, the stew made Gunter's stomach turn. The hand pushed his shoulder insistently, so Gunter picked up the spoon and began to eat.

"So why did you kidnap me?" Gunter asked. He figured he had nothing to lose. "If you really wanted an education in maryoku, then you could have read a book. There was no need to take me."

"You'll be useful for more than just information," replied a gravelly voice.

Gunter shrugged and took another bite. "I can't imagine what for."

"You'll find out. Just eat up, we're going for a walk."

Gunter swallowed down the lump of stew he had been chewing. He could feel the other man staring at his back. That man would be waiting on him to eat his food. As little as he'd been tortured since his arrival, Gunter wanted to keep everyone as happy as possible, so he ate. The man set down a cup of water next to the plate, and Gunter drank greedily. He didn't know what they had planned for him next, so he wanted to make sure he could stay hydrated for as long as possible.

When he had finished, the man grabbed his arm and yanked him out of his chair. Gunter shook the man's hand away, letting him know that he would willingly follow him to their destination. The man shrugged and motioned for Gunter to move out the door and down the hallway. They walked on for several minutes, turning down different corridors and going up one flight of stairs. Gunter would have trouble finding his way back to his holding cell, let alone the way out. They arrived at a set of large wooden doors with brass knockers. The man reached around him and pulled one of the rings. The door slid open with a puff of air that smelled stale. He shoved Gunter inside and shut the door behind them.

Gunter looked around the room and began shaking. There were several torture devices spread out around the large room. Some of them looked less painful than others. Several other men surrounded him and herded him towards the raised area in the center of the room. There were shackles attached to a thick, heavy chain that was bolted to the floor. From the ceiling hung manacles. Once on the platform, they started chaining his ankles, then his wrists. After he'd been secured, they stepped back. One man motioned to two others on opposite sides of the room. They began turning a crank and Gunter's arms were raised above his head until he dangled above the floor.

The pressure of his weight pulling down on his lungs made it hard to breathe, so when the men gathered up and moved to the door to leave, Gunter was barely able to make a sound of protest. The last one in the room ran over to the remaining torch, blew it out, and shut the door behind him, leaving Gunter in total darkness once again. Gunter concentrated on pulling himself up as best he could to get in a good breath. He had no idea how long they planned to leave him like that, but even the short time he'd spent there already was unbearable. The shock and stress of the day had taken its toll on Gunter. He passed out within minutes.

o.O.o

Around dusk, Conrad and Yozak made their way toward the nearby town. Gwendal said he'd be there sometime that night and they wanted to be ready to greet the group. Conrad hoped they remembered to bring some sort of disguise for Yuri. It wouldn't do for the king to be recognized with such a small group of soldiers.

A rustling noise came from the edge of the clearing toward the south side of the town. Yozak motioned for Conrad to look. They saw Gwendal's lieutenant walking out of the brush and into the bar on the edge of town. Both men decided to walk into the area of forest that he had come out of. Hopefully, Gwendal would have some scouts posted to keep track of any movement near there camp and would be able to take them to the general. Sure enough, Conrad felt a sword at his throat.

"That's far enough."

"Ah, yes, I suppose it is."

"What business do you have here?"

"Come on, man," Yozak drawled lazily. "Don't you recognize the Taichou?"

"Y-Yozak! Captain. Yes, sir! I'll take you to General Von Voltaire immediately. Follow me, please."

The young man shakily put away his sword and took off in the direction of the rest of the soldiers. Conrad looked around to see if the camp would be noticeable, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. When they arrived, he realized why: no one had unpacked or set up camp. He was relieved. It would allow them to move quickly when they had figured out their plans for rescuing Gunter. A warm body slammed into him at that point and he stumbled to keep their balance.

"Conrad! I am so glad that you are safe."

"Yuri. You shouldn't have come."

Yuri looked at Conrad angrily. "I am only going to say this once. There is no way you can stop me. Gwendal couldn't stop me. I am going to help save Gunter if it's the last thing I do. Besides, now that I can't summon the Maoh, maybe it's time this country had a new king."

Conrad pulled out of the hug in shock. "You can't mean that. You are still the king."

Yuri shrugged. "Whatever. All I care about is making sure that Gunter is safe. That takes priority over my safety."

"Yes, Heika," Gwendal said with a sigh as he walked over. Conrad could tell that his brother had been fighting with the king about that issue. To Conrad he said, "I'm glad you guys found us. It didn't take you long."  
"We saw Lieutenant Hakes walk into town and just followed his path back to you guys. One of your men almost gave me a hole in my neck."

"Good, then he was doing his job, which he needs to get back to." Gwendal glared at the young soldier. The poor young man panicked and took off running back to his post. "Well, brother, tell me what you've found out so far."  
Yuri stood next to Yozak while Conrad briefed Gunter. The two men kept talking back and forth about plans. At one point, Gwendal sent two of his men off to scout around for the secret entrance to the castle. Yozak started to go with them, but Yuri put a hand on his arm.

"Please stay. I really need to talk to you."

"Sure, kiddo."

Yozak followed Yuri to the edge of the camp. Once Yuri determined that there was no one around to hear him, he leaned up against the side of a tree and sighed.

"Yozak, I need someone on my side in this. We have to rescue Gunter. He'd do anything in his power to save me, now I want to do the same for him. I know I can't summon the Maoh, and I'm starting to figure out that I may never again be able to, but I'm here to do what I can. I need to know that you will ignore my safety if it comes to that. Gunter has to be rescued."

"Heika..."

"Please, Yozak. Gwendal said that he agreed, but I don't believe him. Conrad would never go with it. You are the only one I can trust to follow my request. I can't be the king if I've lost my powers. There's just no point."

Yozak sighed. "Yes, Heika. I understand."

"And..."

"I'll do what I can to rescue Gunter, even if it means your sacrifice. I swear on my life."

Yuri nodded, satisfied. Yozak would never go back on his word. "And Yozak, please don't mention this conversation to them."

"I won't. You know this is crazy, though. Gwendal has probably told the others to get you out if it gets too dangerous."

"That's why I need someone who will rescue Gunter no matter what. Thank you, Yozak, for agreeing to this. You have no idea what it means to me."

Yozak rubbed his hands over his face, sighed one more time, then turned to head back to the middle of the camp. Yuri followed behind, feeling better that someone would listen to his plea. He didn't know how all of this would work out. He didn't even know if they would be able to rescue Gunter. What he did know was that he was willing to give his life for his adviser.

A commotion erupted from the edge of the camp. The two men sent out to find the secret entrance had done so, and rather quickly. It was not too far away, so after making sure that all the horses were tethered properly and a guard was posted, the rest of the group headed off to save Gunter. Yuri patted his side and Morgif moaned softly. The sword was ready for some action.

**What condition will they find Gunter in, if they even find him? Just a couple of chapters left to wrap this story up in a nice bow. My usual request, review if you would like to. I appreciate comments :)**


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